


Night(mare) Shift

by StakeTheHeart



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's, Victorious
Genre: Crossover, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-21 01:00:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 43,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3671697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StakeTheHeart/pseuds/StakeTheHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The minute Jade learned of the infamous Freddy Fazbear's Pizza she was intrigued. She wanted to know more and see if the rumors held true or if it was all just speculation. To do that she became the new security guard of the night shift. It would only be a matter of time before the nights became a nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jade and Tori got out of the car and walked up to the Vega's front door. Tori was the first one in followed by Jade. She led the way upstairs where they dropped off their stuff before coming back down. They had a huge shared project to get done over the summer that required a bit of research. The project was one where they had to look into causes of unrest in the community. Mr. Vega offered to lend them minor cases they could get ideas from which he would leave for them on the table. So, Jade agreed to drive Tori home the last day of school and stay as long as it would take to get the project planned out although she would probably be back that night. She was a junior on her way to being a senior and she wasn't only going to do schoolwork on a Friday night.

"Get the reports," Jade ordered Tori while she made herself comfortable on the couch.

"I'm going," Tori complained, walking over to collect the accordion folder her dad left for them. Once she had it she headed for the couch. She waved it over Jade who reached out to get it but Tori snatched it away before she could. She grabbed for Tori before she could distance herself, knowing she would run for it, and pulled her down onto her lap. Tori laughed, making Jade smile. She wrapped an arm around Tori while the other gripped at the files. Tori opened her mouth to protest but Jade kissed her, effectively silencing anything she had to say. Tori relaxed into the kiss enough that Jade was able to slip the files from her hands.

"You cheater," Tori accused with a smile, their faces inches apart.

"Hey, it's a win-win for both of us. I get what I want and you get to kiss the best kisser in school," Jade teased in reply. Tori shook her head and leaned back in to kiss Jade again. Jade may have been confident in her own kissing skills but she had to admit Tori probably came in a close second. Maybe she was biased but that was just her opinion.

"If you keep this up we won't get to the project at all," Jade mumbled with a smirk, pecking Tori on the lips again.

"I know, but it's so hard to stop," Tori replied, a hand coming up to brush through Jade's hair. She closed her eyes and smiled at the feeling.

"I know, I'm just that addicting," she joked. Tori rolled her eyes and moved to sit next to Jade who opened the folder and began leafing through the thinner folders inside. She pulled out some that caught her eye and tossed them on the coffee table. The last one she tossed out got caught on another that dragged it onto the table in a haphazard manner so that it spilled its contents. Neither had noticed since Tori was busy looking through one she found interesting and Jade was setting the bigger folder aside. However, one of the now loose papers had fallen close to her foot, the newspaper clipping on it catching her attention. It had a picture of a bear on it. Next to it was an ad for a security guard to work the night shift. The hours were midnight to six in the morning. The responsibilities mentioned wasn't anything particularly interesting but the mention of injury or even dismemberment made her pause, staring at the picture. She made a mental note of the address before speaking up.

"Hey, what's this?" she wondered aloud, getting Tori's attention. She set down the file she was holding and looked over to see Jade collecting the spilled papers. She only briefly saw each one before they were placed back in their folder but a shiver ran down her back at the familiarity of the pictures on the pages. She remembered the day she heard her dad talking about this particular case. She couldn't forget it.

"Uh, where did you find that?" she asked Jade.

"They were in here with the others. I didn't even see it until now," Jade replied. Tori watched as Jade set the folder open on the coffee table over all the other files then carefully looked over each page. With the rise of danger reported on each her interest piqued even more. Tori could see it in the way her eyes brightened.

"Those shouldn't be in there," Tori commented, wringing her hands.

"Why not? A pizza joint shut down for apparently horrible health violations. It's not that bad. Relax," Jade responded. Tori shook her head.

"No, I remember when my dad found out about this case. He was halfway between disbelieving and angry. Disbelieving because it's supposedly haunted, and angry, because of the conditions in the place," Tori explained.

"Haunted you say?" Jade remarked, still unconcerned but highly invested now.

"You seriously don't know the story about this place, do you?" Tori demanded, suddenly serious. Her tone made Jade glance over at her.

"No, unfortunately, I don't. I should though if it's haunted," she commented.

"There's more than that. It has a long history," Tori clarified.

"You sound like you already did a lengthy report on it. I knew you were a teacher's pet, but geez," Jade jested. Tori sighed heavily and slammed the file shut, keeping her hand on it so that Jade couldn't open it again.

"Ok, what's up?" Jade intoned, just as serious now. She met Tori's uneasy gaze and held them. She reached out and placed her hand over Tori's to comfort her.

"I'm sorry," Tori sighed, dropping her gaze as well and her head bowing. Her tense posture slumped slightly.

"It's fine. Just tell me what's so bad about it if I can't look at the files," Jade requested. She removed her hand and let Tori pick it up to return it to the accordion folder. She then clasped her hands together and sighed.

"Ok, well, it's called Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria," Tori began with some trepidation.

"Wait, isn't that the name of the place Cat wanted to reserve a spot at to have her party next week?" Jade questioned. Tori nodded.

" **That's**  why you went all quiet. What's so bad about a place Cat claims has cute mascots that sing to kids?" Jade scoffed.

"Just let me explain," Tori reprimanded, her brows pulling down over her nose. Jade raised her hands submissively.

"Ok, then go on," she placated.

"So, going back to the beginning…" Tori started again. Jade rolled her eyes and grumbled something about not wanting a history lesson but one look from Tori and she relented again.

"The franchise had been called Fredbear's Family Diner back in 1973. It was then bought out and the name was changed to Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. At first it was pretty popular for kids and adults. But then there was The Missing Children Incident, sanctions by the Health Department over the numerous reports of dirtiness, and The Bite of '87. Hold on, I'm getting there," Tori explained but stopped to calm Jade since she was seconds away from asking what those events were.

"The Missing Children Incident is the name given to the incident where a total of five children had gradually gone missing at the pizzeria. The police suspected that a man had dressed up in a costume resembling one of the animatronics and lured the children to a back room where he presumably murdered them," Tori said, a grim countenance expressing her distaste with the story. Jade only raised a brow, curious for more information despite the morbid history.

"The Bite of '87 refers to an attack by one of the animatronics. They never pinned down the identity of the one responsible, and it led to the rest of the newly created ones plus that one to get scrapped, but no other details were given. The attack caused the loss of the frontal lobe of the victim's brain. That contributed to a decline of the restaurant's reputation, which put a huge dent in business. It probably would have closed down either way because of the conditions of the restaurant and the many health violations," Tori continued.

"Damn," Jade muttered. Tori nodded.

"It had been shut down by the end of 1993," she mentioned, thoughtful.

"But it looks like they're trying to get it up and running again. I wonder what idiot decided that was a good idea," Jade remarked, crossing her arms disapprovingly. All of it sounded horrible but if the new owners were willing to try again then the past should be excused, right?

"What else was said about it being haunted?" Jade inquired.

"Of course that's what you ask about. Well, they say that the five kids who were killed there haunt the place. Even moving to a new building hasn't gotten rid of them supposedly. I think it's enough that the animatronics could be dangerous-" Tori began to rant when Jade cut in, a determined look on her face.

"I want to go," she stated. Tori skid to a halt.

"What?" she gasped, looking at Jade like she was crazy.

"Well, I wanna see how true it is. You know me Tori. I can't not visit a supposedly haunted place," Jade pointed out.

"You can't just wait for Cat's party?" Tori retorted, unwilling to go anywhere near the place unless completely necessary but also unwilling to let Jade go on her own.

"Come on Tor, live a little," Jade said with a nudge. Tori heaved a heavy sigh. Jade pleaded with her beautiful eyes and Tori caved with a groan.

"Fine," she conceded. Jade smiled and directed Tori's face to hers, kissing her softly.

"Cool, then let's go check it out," she suggested.

"What?  **Now**?" Tori questioned, dazed at first by the tender kiss but pulling away a moment later in shock.

"Yeah," Jade confirmed, standing to get her keys from her jacket pocket. Tori sat there, stunned, but eventually got up to follow her lead. She really didn't have a choice at this point.

"Do you really think I'm going to let an opportunity like this pass?" Jade asked while slipping on her jacket then heading back downstairs.

"No, but I had hoped you had some sense in you not to go snooping around a place that has records with the police," Tori replied warily.

"It's what I do," Jade told her, pecking Tori on the cheek before heading for the door.

"Are you coming or staying?" she added, glancing back at Tori with her hand on the door knob. Tori bit her lip and crossed her arms. She didn't want to but she couldn't let Jade go alone so she nodded. Jade opened the door and walked out, leaving it open for Tori to follow. She got in the car with Jade who pulled out her phone as soon as she was seated. Tori just watched her, wondering what she was doing. It looked like she was inputting something into the GPS of her phone.

"How did you know that?" Tori questioned.

"Saw it in the files," Jade replied.

"Of course you did," Tori mumbled. Jade just smirked proudly.

"Don't kill the fun Tor. Your dad might not have wanted you to know all the gory details but I want to know…You don't have to come," Jade began in an offhand manner only for her voice to soften at the end. She stared at Tori with some concern, looking to make sure she would be ok. She offered a weak smile and leaned over to kiss Jade on the cheek.

"I'll be fine. Thank you for checking before you go barging into things," Tori assured her with a smile of adoration. Before, Jade did things without a care for anyone else, but now, she was always sure not to drag everyone with her into a situation she was all for but no one else was.

"Now let's go see what's up," Tori said, gesturing at the dashboard of the car where Jade's phone sat. She nodded, tapped in a few things and then they buckled up. Jade turned on the car and pulled onto the street. It was almost an hour drive but it felt faster. Soon they were pulling up in the small parking lot. They got out and surveyed the bright and happy looking exterior of the building. The name was written in bright florescent red letters across the top. Tori looked to Jade who pocketed her phone with her eyes on the building. They entered to see it was partly busy. It was just enough for employees to stay occupied but at the same time it had a dull and dragging feel about it. Some sort of tune drifted to them while they crossed through the entrance hall and into the dining area.

"Hello, welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Just two or will there be more coming?" an employee questioned in a quick fire way. She looked a little frazzled. Jade raised a brow and Tori subtly gripped her hand.

"I'm looking for the manager," Jade responded, her eyes flicking past the employee to scan the room they stood in.

"Oh, um, was there a complaint or…?" she questioned. Jade shook her head.

"Nope, just wanted to speak with the manager," she repeated.

"Uh, sure, I'll go get him," the employee replied, shuffling away. With her gone Jade walked in a little further, dragging a slightly resistant Tori with her. Movement in her peripheral made her look to the right where a stage was set up with an animatronic band. She didn't know how hyped up on sugar Cat was to think those things were cute. She hadn't really been invested in what Cat was spouting so really she couldn't be sure. It was possible the bear could be cute at certain angles but definitely not the other two. The mascots were currently putting on a show for the few seated. Some kids were gathered at the foot of the stage, sitting in chairs. They were all smiling.

Jade watched as one of the kids' parents walked over. As soon as he got closer to the stage the yellow chicken of the group turned its head to stare at him. Jade's brows shot up and stayed there when an employee walked over to say something to him. The presence of the employee made the purple rabbit of the group flinch, or Jade thought it was a flinch. It could have been just a twitch of faulty mechanics. The brown bear of the group, the one Jade recognized on the newspaper clipping, was the only one that hadn't reacted at all. Instead, its head roved the room slowly. Jade narrowed her eyes at it but was snapped out of her thoughts with a squeeze of Tori's hand.

"Jade, the manager is heading over," she whispered. Jade turned just in time to see him make his way through the tables to them. He was forcing a smile that didn't belong on his young face. Jade noticed it immediately as she was subjected to them daily at home.

"Hi, what can I do for you?" he questioned, looking from Tori to Jade.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to get a look around. My friend is planning to have a party here and she wanted to scope it out but she's busy so she sent me. I'm a great critic," Jade answered, skillfully lying through her teeth. The guy seemed to size her up before nodding.

"Sure, then a tour?" he suggested. Jade nodded and Tori's stomach seemed to twist.

"Ok, well, let's start here. As you can see this is the dining area. We hold birthdays here where the party's entertainment is Freddy and his band," the manager began, indicating the room and then the show stage. Jade swept her sharp gaze over the area again and settled on the stage. On the wall behind the band were some sort of circular decoration that resemble clouds. She wasn't really sure. There was a black and white checkered strip of wallpaper outlined in red on the wall. Star ornaments were hanging from the ceiling. As for the room, it was pretty large in size and furnished with six tables lined up in three rows, ready for parties. The tables were covered in white tablecloths decorated with confetti patterns. In the middle of the unused tables, lined up in a row, were different colored party hats. Chairs lined the tables on both sides. The chairs had confetti patterns too, and there was a large gold star on the backrest of each one. The floor was tiled blue and red. Jade's eyes came to rest on a curtained off area on the other side of the room.

"What's over there?" she asked, pointing it out. The manager looked over and smothered a panicked expression Jade was quick to pick up on. So far she was the only one paying attention. Tori was too busy staring at the strange animatronics. They gave her a weird feeling.

"Um, that's pirate cove but it hasn't been running very well recently so we closed it off," he answered.

"Mind if I take a look?" Jade inquired, throwing on her charming smile so she didn't come off as nosy as she really was.

"Ok," he answered uncertainly. He allowed it so it counted. When he turned to lead the way, Jade pulled Tori close. She hadn't been blind to the fact that Tori was uncomfortable.

"You can wait for me in the car if you want," she whispered, leaning close to her. Tori's hand tightened on hers.

"I can stay here. I'm fine," she replied, but her voice wavered. Jade's brows creased with concern.

"No, you aren't. Wait in the car Tor. I'll be fast, ok?" she insisted. Tori looked at her, worry reflecting in her eyes for an entirely different reason, and nodded.

"But be really quick," she requested, pointing a finger at Jade who snapped at it, causing Tori to pull back. Jade smirked.

"You're getting good at dodging," she commented, leaning in to rest her forehead on Tori's and wrap her in her arms. She relaxed a little, feeling safer with Jade so close.

"I know you well enough. And because of that I don't want you getting into trouble. You hear me?" she demanded, her brown eyes suddenly unyielding. Jade smiled and leaned away so that she could kiss her forehead.

"I'll try not to," she replied with a chuckle. Tori sighed but she knew that was the best she was going to get.

"See you soon. Now go," Jade told her with a small push towards the exit. Tori dragged out the time when their hands would have to part from the distance, but then she was heading out the door. Glancing back, she saw Jade jogging to catch up with the manager. She tried not to think too much on the weird feeling in her stomach and hastily exited to feel relief in the sunlight outside. Meanwhile, Jade was weaving through the tables and children plus their parents and other employees, trying to catch up. Once she did she fell into step behind the manager and acted like she had always been there. They stopped at the large, cylindrical, purple-colored curtain, decorated with stars and sparkles. There was a sign, also decorated with stars, in front of the curtain that read, 'Sorry! Out of Order'. Two lights were placed on the back wall, one on either side of the curtain. There were also star decorations hanging from the ceiling, and the floor was tiled black and white instead of blue and red like the rest of the room.

"What's the problem?" Jade wondered casually. The manager hesitated and looked like he wouldn't answer so Jade moved to find out for herself. She pulled open the curtain just a little and jumped back when a loud metallic bang along with parts fell towards her. She jumped back out of reflex and landed on the balls of her feet, ready to move again should more follow. Even the manager seemed to scurry back. Both of them remained absolutely still, gaining some odd looks before they were ignored again. Jade made herself relax when she took in what had fallen. It was another animatronic, a fox, and it was in need of repair. Badly. Its gnarly face showed off pointed teeth with its open jaw. The parts that made up its insides showed along most of its body.

"Fuck, that scared the shit out of me," Jade growled, angry to have gotten caught off guard. She hadn't watched horror movies for years, unaffected, for something like this to ruin that reputation. She was just glad none of her friends were there or they wouldn't have let her live it down. She sneered and pushed it away with her booted foot. Her leg muscles strained a little with the weight. The lanky build was heavier than it looked. The manager had an appalled look, like she was flipping off someone of great importance. The fear in his eyes made her tilt her head questioningly but it was suddenly gone. She opened her mouth to ask him why he was so jumpy but he cut across her.

"The restrooms are over here…" he began again, gesturing to a hall directly across the room and then walking off. She looked back at the collapsed animatronic, scowled, and then turned away to carry on the tour; unaware of the pinprick of light now glowing in the fox's unmoving eyes.

"…and the kitchen is through that door," he finished, pointing out the double doors of the kitchen. Jade nodded and then looked over at the two parallel halls she hadn't been told about.

"Where do those halls lead?" she asked.

"That's the east hall and the other is the west hall. It's not very important unless you're security because it just leads to the office," he answered.

"I see," she replied quietly, observing his now stressed expression. She didn't know what his problem was but if the place was as bad as Tori made it out to be then maybe it was. It made her want to get a better look around to prove it.

"Hey, what's the problem here?" a new voice questioned. Jade turned to see another employee with a badge that indicated that  **he**  was the manager.

"What are you doing?" the older man almost growled when his eyes fell to the similar badge pinned to the other's uniform.

"You aren't trying to cause more trouble are you? Because I've told you before not to go around pretending that you're the manager. You're going to upset people," he threatened yet kept his voice smooth and steady. Jade couldn't help but liken him to her father when he got really mad. Apparently her current tour guide had broken rules before.

"B-but she asked…" he stammered, bowing under the real manager's gaze. He turned on Jade now and the employee seemed to find relief in not being in the limelight. Jade thrived in it though, whether it was good or bad.

"I wanted to get a look around," she told him, her hands sliding nonchalantly in the pockets of her pants. He took in her indifferent stance and confident smirk.

"You know, we're in need of a new security guard for the night shift. We could really use a hand and you look like the perfect candidate for the job," he mentioned. Jade's smirk grew and she quirked a brow.

"Sure, I'll do it," she agreed, completely forgetting Tori's worry with the opportunity to sneak around without anyone monitoring her.

"Good. I'll get you the uniform and paperwork," he accepted, walking away after taking back the manager badge from the employee. As soon as he was gone the employee looked at Jade with tired eyes and shook his head. He then walked away without a word. Jade was busy wondering what that meant when the manager returned.

"These should fit. Now, fill out the paperwork and bring it with you Sunday. Be here by eleven forty five, ready for your shift that will end at six in the morning," he told her while handing her the uniform and papers.

"This should be easy. I'm a natural night owl," she commented.

"Then you'll fit right in," he replied before walking off. She watched him go then looked back towards pirate cove. The animatronic had been picked up and the curtains were closed again. She walked to the exit, facing forward, but kept her eyes on the stage. Her eyes locked on the bear, Freddy, and it was almost like they made eye contact. She yanked her eyes away and pushed through the entrance door, strode through the short entrance hall, and then burst outside to what felt like fresh, unoppressed, air. She inhaled and then let it out slowly before heading for her car. Tori sat fidgeting in the passenger seat until she opened the door, tossed the uniform and paperwork onto the back seat, and then plopped in the car. Tori watched her with an unamused frown and crossed arms. She wasn't worried, no, now she was angry.

"What?" Jade questioned, her hands raised palm up as she shrugged. She moved to turn the car on when Tori wouldn't reply so she stopped with a sigh.

"I'm just gonna see what the big deal is," she assured. Tori only looked away out the window. Jade glanced at her but started up the car and headed back to her house. The whole way back was silent. Tori didn't utter a word, which bothered Jade because usually she was quite the chatter box. She was almost as bad as her sister, except she had an adorable charm to her that Trina lacked. Jade would never admit such a thing though. When Jade parked Tori made no move to get out so Jade stayed where she was at too. She planned to drop Tori off so that she could cool off and then she would come back later to try for an apology, but it didn't look like Tori would be moving any time soon.

"I can't believe you," she finally muttered.

"Tor, it'll be fine," Jade pressed, reaching out to set her hand on Tori's knee. Her eyes flicked to her hand before going back to staring out the windshield stubbornly.

"What if it won't be?" she questioned, finally turning to Jade and dropping her hands.

"It will. Just calm down. Relax," Jade responded, rubbing up Tori's leg and back down. Tori stopped her with a hand over hers.

"Ok then, I'll try," Tori retorted, a little clipped. She got out of the car, slamming the door and leaving Jade in a rare state of speechlessness. The only other time she ever felt like this was when her brain couldn't comprehend Tori in lacy undergarments, crawling towards her on the bed. That always short circuited her brain. But right now she was just trying to get over the fact that Tori snapped at her in the first place. She didn't do it often and when she did it was for a good reason. Usually it was when Jade was being stupid. She definitely had to make it up to Tori now. So, she went home, the drive being no more than ten minutes. She wore her best undergarments, black of course, under her frayed jean shorts and a black tank top. She pulled on her black converse and her hoodie then added the black half cloth half pleather snapback Tori sometimes wore but liked to see on Jade. She pulled it on over her head on her way out the door with a smirk, knowing Tori loved when she went casual.

She returned to the Vega household to see that everyone was home now. She carefully made her way up to Tori's window and climbed in effortlessly. She had been doing it too long to make any mistakes. Once she was inside she saw that Tori wasn't in her room so she waited, lazily stretched out on Tori's bed. Five minutes later Tori walked in with a half-eaten waffle stuffed in her mouth and her phone in her hands. By the concentrated look on her face and the way she used both her thumbs Jade knew she was in the middle of a game. However, the second Tori looked up her eyes widened and her hands as well as jaw clenched. She took in Jade's form before setting aside her phone and biting the rest of the way through the waffle in her mouth. She chewed quickly and swallowed because Jade was already off the bed and approaching.

"Jade, what are you-" she tried to say only for her girlfriend to stuff the waffle back in her mouth, silencing her.

"I came to apologize. I didn't mean to upset you. I know taking a job there is asking for trouble but I'm just…I wanna know, you know?" she attempted to explain, her blue-green eyes begging to be understood. She wasn't so good at expressing what she felt but Tori was good at understanding what she meant without much effort. She nodded and lifted her hand to retrieve the waffle again but Jade grabbed her by the wrist before she could. She walked Tori backward until her back met the door.

"No more talking. I'm not done apologizing," she purred, her eyes locking with Tori's while she took the exposed piece of waffle in her mouth slowly. Tori let her take it from her and watched with her lips slightly parted as Jade's tongue flicked the rest of it in her mouth then licked her lips. It was cinnamon and would have tasted great with syrup. Tori would have to stand in for something sweet. Tori grinned and leaned in but stopped to put her snapback on backwards so that it was out of the way. Jade smirked and then it was covered by Tori's mouth on hers. The kiss was heated and Tori's hands wasted no time running over her body tauntingly. She groaned and pressed herself flush against her.

"Did you wear this for me?" Tori panted against Jade's lips, her fingers hooking into the waistband of Jade's shorts. She didn't give her time to answer and bit at her bottom lip. Her tongue soothed it right after. Jade braced herself with her hands on either side of Tori's head.

"It's all for you," she replied, licking the taste of waffles and Tori off her lips. Tori dragged her fingers across Jade's stomach to stop at the button.

"Thanks, but they'll need to come off," she responded, her voice heavy with lust.

"Fine by me," Jade mumbled. Tori tugged at the shorts once she had them unbuttoned and unzipped. They fell a little lower to reveal the lacy underwear underneath.

"And these too? Jade, you shouldn't have," she teased, running her finger under the waist line of the underwear now. Jade's breath hitched and she tried to press her hips into Tori's hand.

"But I did," she groaned, anticipating Tori's touch.

"Then they'll have to come off too," Tori said, suddenly pushing her back and stealing the snapback to place on her own head.

"Get out of those shoes and clothes. I'll take it from there," she ordered.

"With pleasure," Jade acquiesced, quickly doing as she was told. Tori stripped with her and then practically tackled her on the bed, their bodies already intertwining naturally. Tori only admired the lacy undergarments for a few seconds before tearing them off Jade's body so that she was free to feel all of Jade's porcelain skin. Jade moaned at the heavy attention and often fell slack with pleasure under Tori's dominance but managed to bare her tanned skin so that she could return her ministrations. She made sure Tori was taken to the moon and back before allowing Tori to do the same to her. She was sure she drifted out somewhere past the moon though. Afterwards she laid curled up in Tori's arms, listening to her heartbeat, her steady breathing, and basking in her warm body against to hers. In a moment like this, nothing could bother her.


	2. Chapter 2

It was ridiculously early in the morning when Jade woke up. She carefully removed herself from Tori and got out of bed. She found her clothes and slipped into them, kissed Tori on the cheek, and then left. It was a Saturday. Tomorrow night would be the start of her new job. She knew how much Tori disapproved so she decided to give her space today and distract her all day tomorrow. Maybe she'd be too tired to complain once it came time for Jade to take her shift. After leaving Tori's house she drove home to shower and change then she was out again, driving for her quiet spot. It was a hill behind a park. No one really went there, tending to remain down at the park, but Jade always sat up there. Sometimes Tori joined her. Now she was leaning against her usual tree with her binder on her lap, a pen in hand, and the paperwork for her new job in front of her. She filled it out, scoffing at some of the rules and regulations.

"I have to monitor cameras and ensure the safety of the equipment as well as animatronic characters? Shouldn't be too hard," she muttered to herself. The disclaimer at the bottom before she had to sign made her pause.

"They aren't responsible for injury or dismemberment. Same as the newspaper clipping. Hm, maybe there's something to this after all. If Tori saw this she'd probably flip," Jade commented, signing her name on the line provided. She penned in the date and then slipped it into the binder before setting it next to her. She laid back and closed her eyes, her thoughts wandering through all that she knew about the problematic pizzeria so far. She must have dozed off because an hour or two later she was awoken by her phone chiming. She looked at it to see it was Tori asking if she was ok. She replied that she was fine and then stood with the binder in hand to go back to her car. She stopped by an Inside Out Burger before going home. As she ate she texted Tori. By the time she finished eating there wasn't much to do besides a few chores she had. So, she put on some music and got to work. She spent the rest of the day getting it all done while dancing and singing to the music, because if she got bored she wouldn't ever finish.

By the end of the day she was sprawled out on the couch somewhat watching TV but mostly winding in and out of sleep. Another text from Tori came in asking if they could spend tomorrow together. Jade agreed and Tori sent her a smiley with a mustache. She smiled at it and let out a sigh. Throughout the day they had been conversing with Tori dancing around the one topic Jade knew she really wanted to talk about. But Tori wasn't one for conflict. She'd rather avoid it. She knew Jade wouldn't rethink her decision and bringing it up would only cause an argument so she didn't, even though she really wanted to. Since waking up and finding that she was alone Tori grabbed something to eat, watched a movie with Trina, finished her own chores, paced her room, and then eventually sat down to wonder if she should fight harder to keep Jade from that awful place. She could be overreacting, but at the same time she always trusted her gut. Her thoughts were only interrupted by Jade's texts and then Trina needed her for advice on something she was planning to wear out that night.

Dinner came right after that so both girls had radio silence from each other while eating dinner; Jade in her room and Tori at the table with her mom, dad, and sister. As soon as it was over they were back to texting and making plans for the next day. Jade fell asleep shortly after wishing Tori a good night but Tori stayed up a little longer, worry still clear in her mind. The next day was spent anywhere but at home. Jade did her best to keep Tori occupied with the present and hoped she wasn't thinking about where Jade would be with the arrival of eleven forty five. Jade even moved her uniform to the corner of her closet and the papers stored in her desk drawer so that Tori wouldn't have to see even a hint of it. They walked around, shopped, ate, watched some movies, and fit in some alone time. Tori almost forgot what she had been worrying about all day until Jade saw the time and had to go.

"It's ten. I still have to get ready and the drive is almost an hour," she announced as she sat up. Tori sighed heavily and rolled over. Jade leaned over to run her hand over Tori's side, down to her thigh and back up.

"I'll come straight back here as soon as my shift is over, ok?" she murmured in Tori's ear, kissing just under it. Tori turned to look and her, a hand stopping Jade's on her hip.

"Ok, I love you," she replied.

"Love you more," Jade answered, offering her a genuine smile. She kissed her and then got out of bed. She dressed quickly and stood at the door to reassure Tori with another smile before she was gone. She stopped by her house to get ready as quick as she could then she was taking the somewhat long drive to her new workplace. She pushed her way inside to see a few employees cleaning up and setting everything back in place. Jade eyed the silent band on stage as she walked further inside.

"Ah, an early bird too, I see. Your post will be down either hall. At the back is the office. Get accustomed to the mechanics before we leave you to it. Oh, and we seem to have been unable to earn a substantial amount of revenue as of late so we have a bit of a power budget at night. Use the electricity wisely because there won't be more power then what you've already been given," the manager warned. Jade quirked a brow at that.

"What uses up the electricity?" she questioned.

"The doors, lights, and security cameras will cause the power to drain depending on how often you use it," he answered.

"Ok then," she accepted. He smiled, that fake smile Jade hated, and gestured for her to follow him down the east hall.

"Have you guys always had a night guard?" she inquired, her eyes taking in the strange drawings on the walls. It looked like kids were let loose on them with markers, but it was positioned too high which made Jade wonder if it was a design choice. Star decorations and wires hung from some parts of the ceiling. Also on the wall were three cheerful posters of the animatronic characters. On the far left was the yellow chicken, which had the text "EATING TIME!" in large letters above its head. The center poster depicted Freddy, with the text "FUN TIME!" in large letters under his head. The third depicted a rather droopy-eyed purple rabbit with the text "PARTY TIME!" in large letters above its head. Cobwebs were barely noticeable where the ceiling met the wall.

"Well, way back when, we had allowed the animatronics to wander during the day, but as a result of the incidents they weren't allowed to anymore. We decided to limit their free-roaming mode to night-only so that their servos wouldn't lock up. We have a night guard to make sure they're fine by opening tomorrow," he explained.

"Why do you even need a night guard? Wouldn't it be better to let them roam around by themselves? It's not like they can get out the door," Jade commented. The manager stopped at the opening of a doorway and turned to look at her searchingly.

"It's for precaution to ensure our property isn't damaged in any way," he replied tightly. Jade crossed her arms, eyes just as calculating as the manager's stare. There was a tense silence between them before he moved to enter the small office.

"You'll sit here and monitor the cameras with this," he told her, pointing to a worn chair that looked like it would have been comfortable in the past and then turned on a tablet which he handed to her.

"It's linked with the cameras so all you have to do is tap each of these icons that label the map and it'll patch you through to the feed of that room," he indicated, tapping on some rooms to show her how it worked. The cameras were already up and running.

"The battery should last you through the night. Well, it's almost time for closing so I'll just leave you to it," he concluded, walking out of the office. Jade fell into the chair, wincing at the hardness, lack of support, and overall discomforting rigidity of it.

"Hm, at least it swivels," she noted, turning it one way then the other. She leaned back in it, making it creak, and then looked around. There were two buttons on either side of her. The top one labeled 'Door' was red while the bottom one labeled 'Light' was white. It was the same on the other side. She pressed the door button and a metal door with a yellow and black stripe slid closed, turning the light green. She opened it and then pressed the light button. A light outside the door came on, illuminating the spot right outside the office.

"That's it? Geez, I think I'm going to die of boredom," she muttered. At that moment someone entered the office, making her jump a little.

"Hey I just-oh, sorry. Um, I just wanted to let you know we're all heading out. I also wanted to wish you good luck," the employee said. It was her tour guide from the day before. He tried to smile but it fell flat and Jade was starting to wonder if he was seriously lacking self-esteem or his work place had him down. Either way she returned his smile with a small one of her own.

"Yeah, thanks. See you in the morning," she replied. He nodded and left. Seconds later, the whole building seemed to power down, leaving only the light above her on.

"Well shit, no one said it would be this dark," she mumbled. Not that it mattered. She held the tablet in her hands and decided to take a look around the small, compact room. Against the wall in front of her stood a desk, on top of which sat a fan, a dirty empty mug, and various balled up papers.

"Whoever was here last really didn't care to clean up," she decided. The desk had two drawers, along with a speaker with a spider web that seemed to be covering the speaker. On top of a stack of texts in the corner sat a pink cupcake with large, cartoony eyes. The wall behind the desk was adorned with a poster of the band on stage, on top of which read "CELEBRATE!" in large letters. Next to the poster were drawings which seemed to have been drawn by children. The leftmost picture featured the purple rabbit popping out of a white and red box. The drawing diagonal to it showed a child getting a present from Freddy, along with a cluster of smiley faces. The picture directly below that was one of a sun next to a group of balloons. The picture diagonal to that showed Freddy handing a girl a present. There were two other drawings, but they were mostly obscured. The one on the left was a bust of the purple rabbit's smiling face, and the one on the right illustrated two children around a birthday cake. Each drawing had large, colored text on top that appeared to read, "MY FUN DAY!" In each picture showing the animatronic characters, their eyes were drawn as black with white pupils.

"Yeah, that's not creepy at all," Jade remarked. On either side of her were large windows, which allowed her to see outside. The floor appeared to be black and white tiled, matched by a black and white tile stripe on both walls. The rest of the walls from the checkered stripe up were a grayish color. It all looked dark and depressing. She tapped through the camera feeds to see nothing out of the ordinary. With a sigh she prepared to take a nap when the phone on the desk began speaking.

" _Hello? Hey, so, I thought I should record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night."_

Jade felt like she had heard that voice before. It took her a moment but she realized it was her unofficial tour guide. Now she wished she got his name because he kept going out of his way for her even if it meant getting in trouble for it.

" _I, uh, actually worked in that office before you. I'm on the day shift now as you had seen. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay? Let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know. Um, 'Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within ninety days, or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced.'"_

"What?" Jade said, barely audible. What the hell did that mean? And saying it quickly wasn't going to make her forget that it was said in the first place.

" _Blah, blah, blah, now that might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about. The animatronic characters get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for all those years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay. So, just be aware, the characters wander a little. They're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. I'm sure you were told. Uh...something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. They used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"_

"Holy hell," Jade remarked, her brows rising at the very much true information she was being told. It really was gory details.

" _Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on. Now since that's against the rules here, they'll probably try to...f-forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit. Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort...and death."_

"Oh joy," Jade grumbled under her breath, wondering if what he said was really true.

" _Heh, y-yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze, right? I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night."_

Jade stared at the phone, disbelieving. In fact, she was downright incredulous. What the hell kind of scam was he trying to pull on her? Really? Like any of that could be real. She scoffed and stood up, setting the tablet on the desk. She stretched and then took the west hall out. She pulled out her phone to use as a flashlight. There was a door on the left with a low light shining through. Star-shaped decorations hung from the ceiling. The walls were grey, the floor was red and blue-tiled like the east hall and the dining area, and the bottom of the walls were white and black-tiled and outlined in red. On the left wall a bunch of pictures drawn by children were hung up just like the ones inside the security office.

"Ok, now to see if there's any credit to phone guy's words," she mumbled to herself. She came out in the dining hall and looked over at pirate cove. The curtains were closed. She walked further into the room and turned her light on the stage where the band stood. A chill made its way down her back without her control when she saw that the purple rabbit was missing. She turned away and began to make her way back to the office when she now noticed the purple curtain of pirate cove was open a bit. She froze only a second before forcing herself to pass by. She made it to the hall but stopped again when the door now on her right creaked open. In the low light she could make out that damn rabbit standing inside. She cursed and quickly ran back into the dining area, ignoring pirate cove, and then turned down the west hall. As soon as she reached the office she slammed her hand on the left door switch. She then quickly checked the hall she just went down with the light to see nothing. She hurriedly picked up the tablet and tapped through each feed.

"Stage first," she muttered, seeing it still had the yellow chicken and Freddy. She switched to the dining area next. In the darkness, the walls couldn't be seen. A lone light illuminated the center of the room. It was too dark to see any of the entrances or exits in the area. The purple rabbit stood between some tables, just standing there.

"Fucking robots," she growled, tapping on a new room. The feed came on to show the backstage room. According to the map it was a small room located to the left of the show stage. It looked like it was used to store spare animatronic parts. The room consisted of a checkered white and black-tiled floor and a small table, on which sat an endoskeleton and a purple rabbit head. To the back and left of the room sat a shelf holding three spares of the same head, two of the yellow chicken's head, and three of Freddy's head. She checked pirate cove to make sure the fox inside hadn't moved. After that she moved on to the restrooms. From this angle the camera had a view of a short hallway with a pair of doorways leading to a women's and men's restroom, respectively. The doorways had signs indicating which restroom was which. The outer walls were decorated with festive pizza decorations. The top of the restroom walls were grayish while the bottom part was tiled in a black and white checkerboard fashion, as well as the floor. Nothing was there so she switched to the kitchen. A black screen met her vision.

"Really? A disabled camera? Well, at least it's just the kitchen," Jade said, moving on. The east hall was next. It was nothing but a dark, empty hallway that was barely illuminated by a single light. The floor was almost entirely hidden from view. A tap and she was looking at the corner of the hall. The floor was shown with blueish and black tiles. Papers were scattered everywhere. There was a black and white checkered stripe with a red outline on the wall and the rest of the wall was a grayish color. Star decorations and wires hung from the ceiling. There were papers with writing on the walls as well as a poster outlining the rules of the establishment. Jade squinted to read them.

"Don't: run, yell, scream, or poop on the floor. What the…ok. Stay close to Mom, don't touch Freddy, don't hit, and leave before dark," she read out loud. The sound of clattering and banging reached her ears, making her flinch. She rapid fire tapped at the kitchen since the sounds reminded her of pots and pans. It was coming from that room. She checked back on pirate cove to see no movement then moved to look at the west hall corner. It was littered with papers and trash. On the walls hung some papers with writing on them as well as a poster of Freddy holding out his mic with the words "LET'S PARTY!" on top. It looked like there were monitors of some type on the ground. Star-shaped decorations hung here and the floor had blue-black tiles. A bunch of wires hung from the ceiling. The addition to the previously empty corner made Jade scowl.

"Damn rabbit. I already hate it," she sneered, glad the door was shut. She changed to the east hall and the corner to make sure nothing was there then looked at the last room she hadn't looked at yet. It was the supply closet. It was a small room with a shelf on the wall opposite to the doorway. Labeled bottles were on the shelf. On the far wall a broom sat with a balled-up piece of paper next to it. The far wall and the floor had the same colored tiling, except the floor's tiling was larger. Next to the broom was a mop sitting in a bucket. Near the camera, there seemed to be some sort of board with a wheel attached to it. There was a light on the ceiling that illuminated the floor below. The floor and lower parts of the wall were both made from gray and black checkered tiles. The open door was visible.

"Ok, it's not so bad. Creepy but not so bad," she mumbled. She checked the light on the right but saw nothing so she kept checking the camera feeds to give herself something to do. Time passed, slow and painful. Truthfully, Jade wasn't sure if she should be worrying or not. At this point her shift was almost up but a weird sense of anxiety was creeping up on her instead of relief. It didn't help that the posters in the east hall changed to crude drawings of crying children's faces or weird graffiti reading "IT'S ME", and the poster in the west hall corner changed to Freddy ripping his own head off. Something was definitely unnatural about the place but it just spurred Jade on. With an hour left until her shift was over Jade decided to close both doors and hunker down while tapping through the feeds. The purple rabbit passed by once in a while.

The yellow chicken kept showing up and lingering at the window. It just stood there and stared. It was almost six when Jade looked back at the stage where Freddy still stood. She swore he was looking right at the camera now. She quickly locked the tablet and leaned back in the chair with her eyes closed. A while later her phone vibrated in her pocket so she pulled it out to see that it was her alarm telling her it was six. She pulled up the camera feed of the stage and blinked at the perfectly lined up animatronics back in their place on stage. She turned it off and set the tablet on the desk then leaned on it, her mind alive with possible explanations. It wasn't just her. She had stayed up multiple times before and never got this out of it like she had here. It was the place itself. She had to find out the reason. She tensed when there was a knock on the right door.

"Hey, it's just me," a familiar voice called to her.

"Of course it is," she replied. She pressed the button to let in her tour guide.

"You should use the doors sparingly, what with the power shortage at night. So, um, how's it going?" he asked, gripping a small square green battered notebook in his hands.

"As good as someone can be staying up all night. I like the night, but I haven't spent it like this before so understandably I'm tired. Tell me what you want so I can go," she grumbled. She wasn't so much tired as wired with adrenalin. It was like her body knew to remain alert at all times. Like there was danger still present. She shook it off when he held up the notebook.

"I thought it would help if I gave you this," he told her.

"What is it?" she questioned.

"Uh, n-notes, I guess. Look, just take 'em and read it all before coming in tomorrow. It'll help, trust me," he answered, a little tentatively. She took it from him and flipped through it, seeing almost every page filled with what appeared to be his tidy writing.

"Thanks. I have to get going now so I'll see you tomorrow," she said, brushing past him to leave.

"Oh, before I forget, what's your name?" she asked him, turning around so that she was walking backwards in order to keep him in view.

"Preston," he replied.

"Well Preston, thanks for all the help so far," she responded. He nodded and tried to smile but it fell as soon as she turned back around. It was an amazing difference between the place during the day and how it looked at night. She passed the manager who was busy helping two other employees set up. He met her eyes for a second and then turned away. Jade looked to the band on stage and glared.

"I'll have my eyes on you," she whispered, narrowing them. She pushed out the door and went right to her car. She fell in with an exhale and decided a coffee sounded great at the moment. She tossed the small notebook in the glove compartment and then started up her car. After getting a huge cup of coffee at Jet Brew she returned to Tori's house as promised. She sipped at her coffee and texted Tori to ask if she should walk in or if that would wake up her family should they not be up yet. Tori answered back a minute later asking her to sneak in. She picked up her coffee and got out of her car while sending a teasing text accusing Tori of ulterior motives to which she just sent a winking smiley face in return. Jade chuckled and shook her head, pocketing her phone. She drank her coffee while casually walking over to the big tree in the yard she needed to climb. Meanwhile, Tori was lounging on her bed. She woke up early in anticipation of Jade's visit so she already brushed her teeth and was wide awake. A tap at her window made her look over to see Jade announcing her entrance.

"Wow, you left the window open and everything. How welcoming," she pointed out, tossing her legs over the sill after sitting on it. She stumbled into the room and Tori rushed over to steady her.

"What are you doing climbing a tree with a cup of coffee? Do you think flirting with danger automatically makes you invincible if you fall out of the tree?" she demanded. Jade shrugged and took a sip of her drink.

"How did you even get up here with that?" Tori demanded.

"I don't really know, but it was hard," she responded.

"What am I going to do with you?" Tori groaned.

"You can do a lot of things, but for now, all I want to do is flirt with danger some more," Jade stated, pulling Tori closer. She was about to protest Jade doing something else she didn't approve of, but then she caught on and smirked.

"Oh? I'm dangerous? Do tell," she responded, taking Jade's coffee to drink the rest.

"Hey! See, dangerous  **and**  a rebel," Jade jested. Tori laughed and set the cup aside before pulling Jade in for a kiss. When she pulled away she was smiling but it waned until Tori was serious.

"Ok…I'm probably going to regret asking but…how was it?" she inquired, her hands fiddling with the hem of Jade's uniform shirt. The edge of the side of the shirt had a questionable stain that Tori forced herself not to think was possibly blood. Jade looked like she was trying to organize her thoughts before speaking. She took Tori by the hand and directed her to sit. She kicked off her shoes and then crossed her legs under her. She shifted to face Tori who copied how she was sitting.

"It was…alright," Jade answered decisively. Tori gave her a look that told her she clearly didn't believe her.

"Just alright?" she responded.

"Ok, even I had to admit it was a little weird," she confessed.

"Why?" Tori asked.

"The animatronics move. Like, they wander around," Jade answered.

"Freely?" Tori questioned.

"Yeah. And they, I don't know, they just give me this odd feeling. Nothing happened, but I just felt like I shouldn't let them get near me," she tried to explain. She purposely neglected to mention the recorded message that Preston left her concerning what would happen should the animatronics get a hold of her. She may like to scare people, Tori especially, but this was something that couldn't be joked about. Being honest with Tori was something she tried to be ever since they first started going out so she left out that piece of information. Tori looked concerned now and Jade knew she was moments away from telling her not to go back so she took Tori's hands in hers in an attempt to comfort her.

"Jade…" she began anyway, pleading.

"I know, I know. I'll be careful, ok?" Jade told her, firm in her resolve. Tori knew she couldn't dissuade her so she nodded.

"Ok," she reluctantly agreed. Jade smiled and borrowed some sleep wear so that she could get comfortable. She was in no rush to go home and rarely stayed there for more than a week at a time. She was ignored most of the time and only saw or heard of her parents when it was necessary; no more, no less. She held Tori in her arms and they took a nap, waking up two hours later. They spent the day in Tori's room, only bothered once by Trina who asked when Jade had shown up. Jade just smirked and wiggled her brows with a saucy 'wouldn't you like to know' which made Trina leave with an eye roll. Tori just giggled at Jade's antics. They ordered take out after a few movies and episodes of the show they liked to watch together. Jade got in a few more hours of sleep and then it wasn't long before the night rolled back around and Jade had to get going. Again, Tori was hesitant but Jade still left after a lengthy kiss and reassurance that she would be back right after work once again. As she walked out to her car she wondered if this would be her new schedule from now on. She stopped by her house for a shower, donned her uniform, and then left earlier than before so that when she got to the pizzeria she took some time to read through the notebook Preston gave her.

"Let's see what this says," she commented with interest. She opened the notebook to the first page. Hopefully it would provide her with the information she needed to make her shift a little more bearable, but really, anything would be helpful at this point.


	3. Chapter 3

The first few pages had some notes on the history of the place taking up three and a half pages. Most of it was stuff Jade already knew, like the mysterious man dressed as one of the mascots who was suspected of killing the children. The bodies were never found. That was new information for her. More followed that she hadn't known. After the children went missing there were reports of a foul odor coming from the animatronics. Police were brought in when there appeared to be blood and mucus around the eyes and mouths of the mascots. One parent even commented that they were like reanimated carcasses. That was the last straw and the company was set to close. Jade had a fleeting thought that maybe the children's bodies were stuffed in the suits. The company had to have tried covering it all up if nothing was noticed until the animatronics showed suspicious signs of something wrong. Jade wouldn't put it passed them.

"That's just disgusting," she stated as she flipped through the pages and eventually came to one titled 'Freddy Fazbear'.

"Here we go. This looks promising," she observed. She began reading the pages to learn that he wore a costume that gave him the appearance of a brown bear. Onstage, he wore a black top hat and bow tie while wielding a microphone in his right paw. His ears were articulated and able to move back and forth. He had human handprints on his face, though they were difficult to locate. Jade wondered about what that could mean but continued. His irises were normally light blue in color, but he was commonly seen with his endoskeleton eyes on-camera. That was freaky. He started the night on the show stage, along with his bandmates Bonnie and Chica. So that was their names. Upon activation his path was the show stage, dining area, restrooms, kitchen, east hall, east hall corner, and then the office. He remained in dark areas of the room he was occupying, leaving only his eyes and parts of his face visible. He wouldn't be visible if another animatronic was in the same room as him. Viewing him on the stage kept him there while viewing him during his path would slow him down, even if he wasn't visible in the room due to Bonnie or Chica's presence.

"Where did he get this kind of information? He must have been a night watch long enough to find their patterns," Jade guessed, flipping the page to see the next animatronic, 'Bonnie'. He was a lavender-colored rabbit with maroon eyes. He had articulated ears that could bend forward and wore a red bow tie which was partially obstructed by his chin. Onstage, he carried an orange guitar. Unlike the other characters he had rounded teeth and no eyebrows. Excluding his head, the majority of his body appeared identical to Freddy's, apart from the latter's color. His starting location was the show stage. Upon activation, he would move to any room on the left side of the restaurant; excluding pirate cove. This meant he appeared in the dining area, backstage, the west hall, the supply closet, and the west hall corner. He appeared leaning into the left doorway of the office from the blind spot directly behind the door. He was known for returning to the office more frequently than the others and he only approached from the left side. Well, Jade saw some of that the previous night. He was also apparently capable of temporarily disabling the cameras when he moved to another area. Well, that wasn't good.

"One more after this," she mumbled, checking the time to see she had ten minutes to spare. She turned the page and began to read the page titled 'Chica'. She was a bright yellow chicken with a spherical shaped head, orange beak, magenta eyes, and black eyebrows. She wore a white bib that read "LET'S EAT!" in yellow bubble letters, outlined in purple. The bib was flecked with tri-colored triangles in patterns of three and what appeared to be tiny stylized pizza slices. Onstage, she carried a pink cupcake with no wrapper and two large eyes. It sounded like the same decoration in the office. She had an out-of-place set of blocky teeth sticking up from her lower beak. Like Bonnie and Freddy, Chica started the night on the show stage. When she left the stage she went to the kitchen, restrooms, dining area, and the east hall. Her movements were somewhat random but she always approached from the right side. She was the only animatronic who accessed the kitchen on the first two nights. A clashing of pots and pans would be audible and she wouldn't be visible in any other room. So that was the noise Jade heard. She had been right. She showed up at the door less often, but generally lingered there, waiting longer.

"Last one, and with minutes to spare," she said after a quick look at the time again. She turned the page to begin reading the page with 'Foxy' written at the top. He was a large animatronic fox with reddish brown tattered fur. He had a hook for his right hand. He also bore an eye patch that was folded over his right eye. He was usually seen with it above his eye rather than covering it. He wore brown linen pants that were especially shredded at the legs. He appeared to be damaged, as parts of his machinery were exposed. It could clearly be seen that both his legs, with the exception of his upper thighs, and his left hand was completely bare, exposing metal. His chest was ripped in some places, showing the endoskeleton beneath and his arms and stomach were torn apart too. Yeah, Jade could attest to his sad state. On top of all that he also seemed to have a slightly droopy left eyelid. His teeth appeared to be the sharpest of the animatronics, being similar to an actual canine.

The other animatronics' teeth resembled human-like dentures or herbivorous teeth. Keeping with the pirate motif he had several golden teeth and also appeared to have some teeth missing, though that could be because he needed repairs. His upper jaw muzzle was speckled on the sides with black dots, indicating beard stubble or translucent whiskers. It was possible that the whiskers might have simply been removed because of disrepair. He started at pirate cove, inside of the closed curtain, next peeking out of the curtain, then, started to walk for the west hall. However, once he became aggressive from either not being viewed enough or being monitored too much, he rushed down the west hall toward the office. The moment he was gone it was recommended to shut the left door before viewing the west hall as that would be when he struck. Great, like Jade hadn't already disliked him. He didn't appear anywhere else though.

"You have got to be kidding me. It's more rules and warnings," Jade said with a hand rubbing at her face then running through her hair. What she read was almost like a cheat sheet of the animatronics' behaviors. At this rate,  **she**  should be the one who needed to be watched over. She sat there, tapping the small notebook against her palm a while, then stashed it. She slid out of her car and headed inside, back straight, with determination etched into her slight scowl. She went straight to her post, only stopping when she saw Preston come out of the cramped room. He brightened when he saw her, looked down the hall, and then gestured for her to hurry over.

"What's up?" she asked him. With his uneasy expression and fidgeting he made Jade ponder the reason as to why he was helping her at all. Obviously, based on his actions, he held knowledge his manager might not like him spreading around. Yet, he did lie about everything being fine in the recorded message. Because it wasn't. She wasn't sure if he was lying out of free will, obligation to do so, or just trying to make her feel better. Whatever the case, it kept him under suspicion. He seemed to be very hesitant and awkward at times. He stuttered sometimes which meant he might be worried about the possibility of someone hearing his warnings and advice regarding the animatronics. Of course, it was also likely that he was just generally anxious and on edge because of the imminent chance of death at their hands. That would put anyone on edge, the other employees and herself included.

"Did you read all the notes I compiled?" he responded with a question of his own. She nodded.

"Good. I left another message for you; reminders and such. I, uh, have to be quick since we're closing soon, but I feel I should be honest with you. I was pretending to be the manager so that anyone who came in here got the honest truth. I don't hide things or make it seem better than it really is like our actual manager," he explained, making sure his voice was low. Jade glanced at the doorway behind her before moving closer to him.

"Are you saying I shouldn't trust him?" she inquired, just as quietly. He only gave her a subtle nod and then started to walk out.

"So, um, have a good one. See you later," he told her cheerfully, raising his voice and putting on an ignorant display with a wave; no doubt covering his tracks. His forced smile was the last thing she saw. It turned out Preston could be trusted then if he was being watched closely and the manager had his eye on him. But now Jade questioned the manager. What was his motive? Jade picked up the tablet from the desk and took her seat just as the lights went out, bathing her in darkness. Normally she really didn't care for darkness but this was pitch black and hid what she knew to be skulking right outside the room.

"I'm on to you," she whispered, starting to tap through the camera feeds even though it showed the animatronics still on stage.

" _Hey. Um, congrats, day two!"_

Jade quickly eyed the noise, alert, but she relaxed a little when it was just Preston's message on the phone. He had the worst way of greeting someone.

" _I-I won't talk quite as long this time since Freddy and his friends tend to become more active as the week progresses. Uh, it might be a good idea to peek at those cameras while I talk just to make sure everyone's in their proper place."_

In the time it took for her to cycle through the feeds and listen to a little bit of Preston's message she returned to the stage camera to see that Bonnie already moved. He was right. She turned on the light of the west hall first to see he wasn't there then she tracked him down to find him in the dining area. He hadn't gotten too close yet. That was good at least.

" _You know...uh...interestingly enough, Freddy himself doesn't come off stage very often. I heard he becomes a lot more active in the dark though, so, hey, I guess that's one more reason not to run out of power, right? I-I also want to emphasize the importance of using your door lights. There are blind spots in your camera views, and those blind spots happen to be right outside of your doors. So if-if you can't find something, or someone, on your cameras, be sure to check the door lights. Uh, you might only have a few seconds to react...n-not that you would be in any danger, of course. I'm not implying that. Also, check on the curtain in pirate cove from time to time. Foxy seems unique in that he becomes more active if the cameras remain off for long periods of time. I guess he doesn't like being watched. I don't know. Anyway, I'm sure you have everything under control! Uh, talk to you soon."_

With the end of the message came silence. Jade tapped through the camera feeds, noticing that Chica was now gone. She tracked down Bonnie in the west hall, so she had to keep an eye on him, and Chica was in the restrooms. Freddy seemed to mock her from the stage, his head turned to the camera again. She set down the tablet and turned on the left light. As soon as it showed an empty hall and turned off she went back to the tablet. For the next few hours she kept a close eye on Bonnie and Chica. Any time they got too close or were right in the blind spot she quickly closed the corresponding door. With Freddy still on the stage it almost felt too easy. And that's when it hit her.

"Fuck," she cursed, tapping on the icon of the camera that would show her pirate cove. She should have been more careful back when she spotted the curtain open. Now he was standing outside the curtain, his eyes glowing and head tilted sharply to the left. Jade hesitated between putting down the tablet and checking the lights or keeping an eye on Foxy. She would have to look away, if only for a second. So, she checked the lights to see nothing. When she picked up the tablet again it was to see Foxy missing. The usual 'Sorry! Out of Order' sign now read 'IT'S ME'. She didn't dwell too much on that because she was busy shutting the left door. Chica banging around in the kitchen made her flinch but she still proceeded to view the camera feeds. The abrupt banging on the door almost made her drop the tablet. And that would be Foxy. The lone light above her flickered and she had a bad feeling that particular attack killed more power than just using the doors and lights. The banging in the kitchen stopped so Jade had to make sure Chica hadn't wandered too close.

She hadn't yet. She was in the east hall. Jade made sure to close the door once she got closer and checked in on Foxy in the best balance she could to keep him back. She didn't want another power drain. The rest of the night picked at her nerves a little more since Chica kept showing up to linger at the window but she was lucky Foxy hadn't attacked again. But with Chica showing up and both the doors closed the light above kept getting dimmer. Jade knew she was running out of power so she reluctantly kept both doors open, checked the halls frequently, and left the camera feed on Foxy hoping that would deter him from making another run. So she sat there, rigid, hoping six would come before she lost power. Freddy liked the dark. He was active in the dark and she didn't like the sound of that at all. What really threw her for a loop and almost made her lose focus the first time it happened was when she had some kind of hallucination. The words 'IT'S ME' flashed across her vision along with rapidly alternating pictures of a black-eyed Bonnie, an eyeless Bonnie, and Freddy with what looked like human eyes.

They were bloodshot and…sad? Or maybe just deranged. If that wasn't bad enough, sounds accompanied the hallucinations, like garbled words run through with static and made absolutely no sense. Even when she was looking at the camera feeds the images showed up. She didn't know if it was her or some type of phenomenon outside of her comprehension. She felt the power wasn't going to fail on her but now all she felt like doing was sleeping. She was exhausted but she was far too stubborn to let anything get her down, so, she held out. When her shift was over she waited five more minutes for any activity at all then let herself slump in the chair with a tired sigh. She was out in the next second, not feeling the vibration of the five minute alarm she had set. She was shaken awake in what felt like seconds later, her body and mind on high alert. She launched from the chair to grab at her attacker and slammed them back into the desk. A sound of pain followed. Only after she got a good look at the person to see it was only Preston did she loosen her grip and then let him go. She took a step back and looked away.

"I'd say sorry but I think you know there was a high chance of that happening," she muttered.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry for that. We're opening for the day now so you're free to go," he told her. She nodded, handed him the tablet, and then shuffled out of the small room. She dragged herself out the door, not even bothering to look back or over at the stage. As soon as she was sitting in her car she took the moment to try and relax first. She then made sure she was calm and collected before driving. When she got to the Vega house she went right through the front door, up the stairs, into Tori's room, and almost threw herself on her bed but stopped long enough to pull off her work clothes and kick off her shoes. Only then did she fall into bed next to Tori who had already been awake reading but looked up when Jade entered. She looked so tired and ragged. Her normally bright eyes; glinting with attitude, snark, and impish or mischievous intent, were now wide with anxiety, fear, and fatigue. While she got undressed her movements were jerky and uncoordinated. Jade was never a klutz. She was graceful and swift in everything she did, but this time she wasn't. Tori stayed quiet at such a sight and just scooted over for her after she curled up next to her. By the rhythm of her breathing she was already out.

Tori, concerned, set her book on the side table and then wrapped Jade in her arms, moving slowly because the first touch made her whole body tense and she grabbed Tori by the wrist. However, her eyes cracked open, saw Tori, and then she went slack again. Tori took that as permission to gather her up and hold her close, her nose buried in her neck after dropping a kiss to her pale, clammy skin. They slept for three hours straight, well, Jade did. Tori woke up after two hours but stayed where she was, comforting Jade who had tossed and turned a little in her sleep. She didn't want to hold her down or restrict her movements since that might put her even more on the offensive so she allowed the shifting then soothed her with a kiss to the forehead. Jade seemed to recognize her even when she was unconscious because she was successfully guided back to a more peaceful sleep. When she did finally get up it was with the help of freshly cooked breakfast. Tori brought in two plates, setting one on the side table and holding the other while she sat crossed legged on her bed next to Jade.

"Is that bacon, pancakes, eggs, and sausage?" she questioned groggily as she rolled over. She might have been just waking up but her nose never failed her when it came to good food. Tori knew this, and smiled, glad that not everything about her had changed.

"Yep, but it's only for me," she replied, biting her lip when Jade let out a long groan of complaint.

"Tori," she whined, dragging out her name. Jade's tired face begged and a pout rested on her lips. Tori kissed her softly then held out the plate she had. Jade sat up and accepted the food. Her first few bites were loaded with a piece of everything. She finished before Tori even got a proper start on her own.

"God, Jade, eat the plate while you're at it," she commented, side eyeing her hungry girlfriend. Jade actually considered it before shaking her head.

"I was hungry," she responded defensively.

"I could see that," Tori acknowledged, taking a bite of her own food which Jade now stared at. Tori sighed but gave up a strip of bacon and Jade kissed her softly in return. Their lips were slightly sweetened with syrup so that they both licked their lips subconsciously right after.

"By the way, I got a text from Cat," Tori told her.

"What did she say?" Jade asked, only a little curious and a lot wanting the answer to be Cat saying she changed her mind about having her party at that pizzeria.

"She said she called and booked a spot for tomorrow. It'll be the last party of the day," Tori explained. Jade let out the breath she was holding, disappointed.

"So she's decided," she acknowledged.

"Yeah," Tori replied with a nod. She wasn't sure how to feel about the situation but she did know that Jade wasn't happy with it.

"Ok," Jade eventually responded in a reserved tone. She got out of bed, stretched out, and then began getting dressed.

"Also, I got various texts from the gang. They want to hang out today," Tori informed her. Jade nodded from her seat at the end of the bed. She kept her eyes on tying her shoes.

"Where?" she questioned.

"Here. Just a little get together as usual. Nothing much," Tori answered.

"Ok, then let me get something decent to wear and I'll be back," Jade told her, standing to head for the door. Tori got out of bed to walk her out. Mr. and Mrs. Vega had already left for work but Trina was still around. She looked just as confused as she had the other numerous times Jade just showed up unexpectedly but she didn't say anything this time. Once they were outside Jade chuckled, the sound bringing a smile to Tori's face.

"It's like she's never thought of using the window before," she commented, referring to Trina's confusion.

"She isn't the sharpest tool in the shed," Tori replied.

"I know, yet she should know how often I spend time with you by now. Just think, with my persuasive skills I would have been one of those guys parents dread. With how many times we go at it I'd probably end up a father by the end of high school," Jade remarked playfully, slowly backing Tori into the wall of the house with each word she spoke. The tone of her voice dipped low and affected Tori like Jade's touch, sending waves of heat downward. This was the seductress Tori had expected and was glad her new position at that god forsaken place hadn't affected her too badly. She didn't like the way she had been acting when she arrived. It was so unlike her.

"You're thinking too much," Jade scolded, seeing the way Tori's countenance became distracted. She pressed close to kiss along Tori's neck. Her hands braced against the wall on either side of Tori but moved to slide down her sides and rest on her hips where she squeezed lightly.

"How do  **you**  know?" Tori responded defiantly. She knew Jade liked resistance. She sucked in breath when Jade bit her for it.

"You always think too much," Jade whispered in her ear. Tori shuddered and Jade smirked. She pulled away, leaving Tori to slump against the wall.

"W-wait, what? Where are you going?" she whined. Jade laughed.

"Home, remember? I'll be back," she promised. She turned to walk away but Tori caught her by the arm and pulled her back. Jade's smirk drew Tori's eyes to her lips now that they were face to face again. She yanked Jade in by the front of her shirt and kissed her passionately. When she pulled away it was to breathe in her ear.

"I'll come with you," she said, making sure to drive her point home with a hand slowly sliding down the smooth curve of Jade's back. Jade smiled.

"Ok," she agreed. She took Tori by the hand and they got in her car. When they reached Jade's house they saw that they had it to themselves. Jade unlocked the door to let them in. Tori waited until they were in her room before jumping her. Her frantic hands easily removed Jade's uniform. She tossed it far from them then pushed Jade onto her bed. She followed after a quick strip tease that made Jade gasp. Tori finally climbed on the bed with her where they shared a heady kiss before continuing. An hour later they showered and Tori borrowed some of Jade's clothes before returning to her house. Trina was gone now, likely at a friend's house or maybe even in her room.

"When were they heading over?" Jade asked as she helped herself to a bag of chips she found on the counter. Tori snagged the one she currently held and Jade just frowned but retrieved another without complaint.

"They should be getting here s-" Tori began to answer when the door opened and their friends burst in.

"Hey muchacha! Hey Jade!" Andre greeted each of them.

"Hi, hi!" Cat yelled cheerfully.

"How's it going?" Beck said with a wave.

"Hello, hello," Robbie added.

"What's up guys?" Tori answered happily, walking over to hug each of them. Jade smirked when she saw Andre wiggling his eyebrows at Tori. He noticed she was wearing Jade's clothes and Tori smacked his arm in retaliation of her embarrassment. It was amusing to Jade and Tori's slight blush was cute.

"Hey," Jade responded through a mouthful of chips. She stayed where she was leaning on the counter, her hand in the bag again.

"Are those potato chips?" Robbie questioned, pointing at the bag. Jade glanced down at her snack and then ate more chips.

"Sure is," she agreed.

"Can I have some?" he asked.

"No," Jade replied. Tori rolled her eyes and moved to get another bag.

"Here Robbie, hope you like sun chips," she told him, handing it to him.

"Thanks," he replied, opening them. The others grabbed a handful then took a seat on the couch. Tori looked at Jade with a brow raised and her hands on her hips. Jade just gave her a crooked smile and she couldn't help but discard her reprimand. She pecked Jade on the lips and brushed her hair back.

"Be nice," she told her simply. It was Jade's turn to roll her eyes.

"Fine," she mumbled. Tori smiled and then left to join their friends. Jade followed at her own pace. Tori took a seat on the floor and Jade plopped down next to her. Tori waited for Jade to remove her hand from the bag and then grabbed some chips for herself. Jade had nothing to say and the others didn't miss her silent permission. Jade only ever allowed Tori most things.

"Ok, so, as everyone knows I'm having a birthday party at Freddy's and I'm inviting you guys to come. My mom and dad might stop by but my brother's been acting weird again so they have to take him to-" Cat started and then began to babble but Jade smacked her leg since she sat nearby her. Cat squeaked and brought her story to an end.

"Do you think that's a good idea, Cat?" Tori asked the bubbly redhead.

"Why not? They have pizza and cute animals that sing to you and cake and pizza!" she replied, throwing her hands in the air excitedly.

"You said pizza twice," Robbie pointed out.

"That's because it's pizza, duh!" she responded. Andre looked to Tori's concerned expression while Jade seemed to adamantly ignore the conversation all together. She still wanted to hear though so she covered any chance if visible interest by keeping herself busy looking in the bag for a big chip among the small crushed ones at the bottom.

"Am I missing something here?" Andre suddenly spoke up. Tori glanced at him.

"Yeah, you two have been awfully quiet about something. What gives?" Beck chimed in.

"I don't have to tell you everything Beckett," Jade snapped, stopping her scavenging to glare over at him.

"Does this have anything to do with Jade working there now?" Andre continued. Of course Tori would share everything with him. Jade glanced at her and she shrugged apologetically, but she just went back to remaining quiet. She didn't want to linger on any one memory of the nights spent there if she didn't have to. Plus, her friends were bound to question her relentlessly if they noticed her act any other way than how she usually did, which was with disinterest.

"Or does it have to do with-" Beck began but Jade threw a chip at him. He frowned and rubbed at his forehead.

"Jade, could I have a word with you?" he requested. Jade groaned in exasperation but got up to walk with him to the far corner of the kitchen.

"What's going on?" he demanded quietly as soon as they were alone. In the background Tori kept the rest of their friends entertained.

"What do you mean?" Jade replied, playing dumb.

"You know what I mean. You stopped me from talking about the rumors. Why?" he tried again.

"Look, I may not like the place but that doesn't mean I should spoil it for Cat," she told him. Being with Tori taught her to be more considerate.

"Because you work there, or because the rumors? Was anything suspicious?" he fired off.

"Yes to all of that. The whole damn place is suspicious," she replied.

"And you're just going to let Cat have her birthday there? Which means we're all going to be there too," he pointed out.

"The company is aware, Beck. I know they are. It's obvious the place is dangerous, but it's not the day that concerns anyone. It's after hours," she said, her voice growing quieter the more she said.

"Tori said you work the night shift as a security guard," he said slowly, as if he was thinking.

"Yeah, what else did she tell you?" Jade responded sharply, crossing her arms.

"It's not like you keep us updated. We care about you and Tori does too. We just like to know how you're doing," he retorted, yet his voice wasn't sharp. Jade stared at him with a cross between an agitated glare and a sad smile.

"I know," she grumbled.

"So it's that bad?" he asked her, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning on the counter.

"Yeah, maybe worse, but I don't really know yet," she answered.

"What do we tell Cat?" he wondered.

"Nothing. During the day everything's fine. Like I said, it's the night," she replied.

"And Tori lets you keep doing this?" he questioned next. Jade looked away and shrugged.

"She has no choice. I told her I'm not quitting until I get to the bottom of this," she replied, resolute in her words.

"I'm sure Tori already tried to get you to quit so I'm not going to fight you, but just, be careful, ok?" he cautioned, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"I know," she responded with a nod.

"Are you still going tomorrow?" he asked as they began to walk back into the living room. Jade knew what he was really asking was if she would be ok going tomorrow and then taking her shift right after.

"Yeah," she answered, letting him know that she would be fine.

"Ok," he replied, moving to take his seat. Jade sat down next to Tori who had taken her abandoned chip bag and finished it. The empty bag sat on the coffee table. Tori took one look at Jade's contemplative yet conflicted expression and held her hand. Jade was pulled out of her dark thoughts by Tori's warmth and leaned into her. She wrapped an arm around her back and kissed her on the cheek. Tori's bright smile pulled a small one on her face. With that they turned back to their friends. For now she would just enjoy the simplicity of spending time with them and worry later about spending more time than she had to at her workplace.


	4. Chapter 4

Jade had unintentionally fallen asleep by the time their friends left with promises of going out somewhere. Ideas were tossed around but none were decided on just yet. Well after they were gone she woke up from her nap and checked the time to see it was two hours before she had to get going. It was getting late. Tori probably wouldn't want her to leave but she had to get home and make an appearance so that her parents knew she was at least alive. Wouldn't they be so devastated if her job took a turn for the fatal? Yeah, right. Like they would care. Although, Jade hoped they did. They were her parents after all. It just didn't feel like they did most of her life. She guessed she couldn't blame them since the onset of a possible divorce had pushed them far apart. They were unhappy. Jade understood that, but what she didn't understand was why she had to suffer for it.

It was between them, not her. But whatever. She had Tori so she would be fine. Speaking of, her girlfriend wasn't sitting by her anymore. She got up from her seat on the couch in one swift movement and searched for her. She told herself there was no need to panic yet there it was sneaking up on her. It wasn't like she could get into trouble in her own house. It wasn't like anything could get her, or kidnap her, or anything worse than that. Right? Her search picked up with the thoughts until she practically ran into the youngest Vega in the hall upstairs. She had just gone to the bathroom and was heading back but suddenly Jade was right in front of her. They stumbled over each other and Tori had to steady Jade or she would have knocked her over.

"Whoa, almost didn't see you there. Hey, are you ok?" Tori started out playfully but became serious when she spotted Jade's panicked expression.

"Sorry, I-I thought…never mind. I was looking for you," she muttered, her expression becoming casual again. Tori's brows furrowed but she didn't question Jade's behavior. She knew it had to be another side effect. Jade would most likely dismiss it if it was addressed so she didn't. Instead, she stroked her cheek and then leaned in for a kiss.

"I have to get going Tor. My parents might not care where I am but I should stop in more often than I do," Jade said, cupping Tori's face in her hands and resting her forehead on hers.

"I'm sure they care. They just don't show it as much as they should," Tori told her. Jade nodded, kissed her forehead, and then stepped away.

"The only love I need is yours. As long as I have that, I'll be fine," she stated, smiling softly. Tori grinned, hugged her tight, and then walked her to the door. They said their goodbyes and then Jade left for home. Her mom was in the kitchen when she came in but her dad wasn't home yet. In the next hour he would be though. She exchanged casual words with her mom before going to her room. She heard when her dad got home but didn't come out until dinner. It was quiet and barely any words were said but she got through it. She also managed to bring up getting her job which they both approved of. She didn't tell them where and they didn't ask. After dinner Jade retired to her room to relax.

She put on music and stopped thinking, just allowed the words to pass through and nothing else. Her alarm she set reminded her of the time. She got ready to go then headed out with a mumbled farewell to her parents. The long drive over in silence did nothing but let her thoughts run wild so she turned on the radio. She parked and walked right inside. She acknowledged the employees she passed but remained silent all the way to the office. Preston stood leaning against the wall outside. They exchanged friendly smiles before he acted out tipping an imaginary hat then left her to it. She watched him go then stepped into the compact room of anxiety. It was her own personal panic room.

"Here we go again," she sighed, tensing only slightly when the lights went out around her except for the meager bulb hanging from above. She sat back in the chair with the tablet in hand, listening as Preston's message played not too long after.

"'Hello? Hey, you're doing great! Most people don't last this long. I mean, you know, they usually move on to other things by now. I'm not implying that they died. Th-th-that's not what I meant. Uh, anyway I better not take up too much of your time. Things start getting real tonight."

"Yeah, like they haven't gotten real enough yet," Jade sneered, sparing a glare at the phone before going back to the tablet.

"Uh...hey, listen, I had an idea: if you happen to get caught and want to avoid getting stuffed into a Freddy suit, um, try playing dead! You know, go limp. Then there's a chance that m-maybe they'll think that you're an empty costume instead. Then again if they think you're an empty costume they might try to...stuff a metal skeleton into you. Never mind, scratch that. Don't do that. Just don't get caught. Um...ok, I'll leave you to it. See you."

Jade glared one more time then put all her attention on the task at hand. Flipping through the feeds she found that Chica was the first to move this time. She found her in the dining area. She checked pirate cove to keep Foxy in place then went back to the stage. Bonnie had left now. She set down the tablet to turn on each hall light and had to close the left door when Bonnie showed up. She went back to pirate cove, saw the curtain closed, set the camera on Freddy still stuck on the stage, and then checked the lights again. This time Bonnie was gone and Chica showed up. She switched doors and went back to square one. As time passed she realized that if she checked in on pirate cove often it would keep Foxy at bay. Then she would check the stage to make sure Freddy hadn't moved. The lights came next and the doors right after should Chica or Bonnie be there. She hoped it saved on power not searching for them on the camera if she just watched her blind spots. She felt she had a pretty good handle on the situation this time. Even the random hallucinations that bothered her couldn't fully distract her. She was almost through the night when a particular bout of the images threw her off enough to miss her next step checking on Foxy.

The time lapse made her concern for a spike in appearance from Bonnie or Chica so she checked the hall lights first. By the time she did get to see pirate cove he was already on the move since he had been sneaking out at a faster pace than he had before. She closed the left door and went to tap on the camera feed that would show her the west hall. Foxy came running and began banging on the door. Each forceful hit made the light flicker which was made worse when she checked the east hall for Chica but she wasn't there. When she looked back at the west hall camera to make sure Bonnie wasn't around so she could open the door, she spotted a new poster on the wall along with what she perceived to be the sound of a little girl's laugh, but she wasn't sure. The poster looked like a picture of Freddy's face but it was yellow. Or was it gold? Jade couldn't tell, but she thought nothing of it. She went back to taking her rounds, seeing Foxy back in place, spotting Freddy off the stage and in the dining area; she had to make sure he stayed there with regular check-ups, and then moved to set down the tablet and turn on each light when she saw it. It caught her by surprise so badly that she jumped in her chair, sending it crashing back into the wall behind her.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed, clutching at her wildly beating heart. The noises and images were back, assaulting her all at once. The lifeless golden Freddy just sat there, eyeless sockets staring into her own tired eyes. The only thing she could do was tear her eyes away to force herself through her rounds, trying desperately to ignore it. Foxy peeking out, Freddy in the restrooms, then the lights; but she hesitated. She didn't want to see it again. But she had to in order to get to the lights, so she yanked her gaze up to see nothing. It was gone, and belatedly, she realized the sounds and images had long since stopped their assault. With that over with she moved to hit the lights to check for Bonnie but he wasn't there. She then went to do the same for Chica but the lights didn't come on. Panicked that the power was in jeopardy and too caught up to take into account that the bulb was in fact still on, she hit the button for the door but that didn't work either. Now she was confused.

"What the fuck?" she wondered. Her alarm for the end of her shift made her jump. She hurriedly slipped it out of her pocket to turn it off. With a sigh she set the tablet down and turned around to go back to her chair when she was face to face with bright yellow. She tilted her head back to look into the animatronic's face and wide open beak then scrambled to put space between them, practically falling back onto the desk and scattering everything on it in the process. However, Chica didn't make any move toward her. Instead, she seemed frozen in mid attack for a second before walking out to the east hall, presumably to take her place back on stage. Jade stayed where she was half sitting half laying on the desk, her mind yelling at her that she was literally seconds from death. Who knew when she had gotten in? It most likely happened when that golden version of Freddy showed up, distracting her. She took a few minutes to calm herself and raised a shaking hand to brush back her hair.

"Hey!" a voice suddenly shouted, making her jump all over again. This time she almost took a tumble off the side of the desk. Preston rushed in to keep her standing.

"Rough night?" he wisely guessed. She only nodded.

"I'll clean this up later. For now, let's get you out of here, get you hydrated, maybe something to eat. I can have the cooks whip you up a personal pizza to go?" he offered, steering her out of the office with an arm around her shoulder. Her legs were still shaking and she had to place her hand over one of his gripping at her upper arm to convince herself it was a human one.

"I, uh, I'll be back here later for my friend's birthday party. If I eat pizza now I won't want it later and she'll have a fit," she explained in as even a voice as she could. She hated to admit it, but no horror movie could prepare her for a very real scare, like a threat to her life.

"Oh come on, everyone loves pizza," he replied, trying to lighten up the situation but failing. Jade pulled away from him and his arm dropped to his side.

"Yeah, well, I'm starting to hate it," she stated, mentally adding it to the long list of things she hated. It went right up there with ducks.

"Oh, ok, then I'll see you later," he told her. She nodded and picked up the pace, striding faster right out the door. In her car she pulled out the notebook to add to Chica's page. She was sure the lights not working and the door jamming was somehow her fault. Since Bonnie was just as active as her she questioned his abilities too. Just in case she added that he could do the same. It was better safe than sorry. She tossed the notebook back in the glove compartment, slammed it shut, then started the car. She had to focus on getting home. Tori would have to wait to see her. Jade couldn't let her see her in such a state. She had to calm down first. At home she sent Tori a text telling her that she was fine.

She gave the excuse that she wanted to change into her own clothes first before heading over. Tori replied with relief, a kissing emoji, and then her hope to see her soon after. Jade just wished she could have a cup of coffee but was unsure whether that would just fry her nerves even more so she decided on tea once she got to Tori's house. If her girlfriend wasn't drinking hot cocoa she was drinking green tea. In the next hour she arrived, much calmer than before but still a little skittish. Even in the car she flinched at any loud sound whether it was a car horn, someone yelling, or even the turned up radio of a car zooming by. Tori greeted her as soon as she walked in the door with a big hug Jade eased into. Instantly she felt safe and secure, no longer rattled.

"Jade, you're trembling," Tori murmured.

"I am?" she responded. She thought she stopped a while back but apparently not. Tori pulled back to cup her face like she was fragile.

"What happened?" she questioned.

"Nothing. I thought I saw something but it was nothing. Scared myself being all alone in the dark. That's all," she replied.

"You scared yourself?" Tori repeated, unconvinced. Jade just nodded and pulled away to walk past her.

"You still have tea?" she asked while walking to the kitchen.

"Tea? Yes, I always do. You don't want coffee?" Tori answered, a hint of suspicion in her tone. She felt that something was off.

"No, I stayed up all night. I don't need coffee," Jade replied, now looking through the cabinets. Tori wanted to tell her that she didn't think that on the first night and that caffeine rarely affected her, but she held her tongue. Something was definitely going on. Tori joined Jade in the kitchen and got the tea bags. She gently pushed Jade to go sit down while she heated the water and steeped the tea in Jade's favorite mug. It was white and along the side was markings. The topmost read 'Shhh', the middle 'Almost', and the bottom 'Now you may speak'. Tori had gotten it for Jade as a joke that sometimes everyone bothered Jade until she had her coffee. Which was why it was so off putting that she wasn't asking for it even though she was clearly bugging over something. Tori decided on a cup for herself and got out her own personal favorite, a white mug with a picture of a T-Rex on it holding grabbers. She thought it was funny while Jade thought it was funny that Tori thought that. Really, she found it cute, and Tori knew it, but she let Jade think she didn't. While she prepared their drinks she smiled to herself at the thought of the mugs Jade had for them at her house.

Jade's favorite was a black one that said 'Have a nice day' on the side facing outward when held by the handle. But then when she took a drink, the bottom had a picture of a hand with the middle finger up. Tori shook her head the first time she saw it but had to smile. It was so Jade. She didn't have a cup until after they became closer and Jade allowed her over. She offered her green tea, knowing that Tori liked it, and then put it in a normal white mug. Only after Tori finished did she see the message at the bottom. It read 'You've been poisoned'. She panicked at first, somewhat believing that Jade might have just been stringing her along only to finally do her in, but then she quickly came to a screeching halt when she realized Jade was laughing at her reaction. It was all a trick of course. One Jade found hilarious. Tori wanted to be mad but she couldn't. Such a harmless thing like that only proved that Jade was warming up to her so she took it in stride. It was her cup ever since and she never failed to smile every time she got to the bottom after finishing her drink.

"You done reminiscing over there?" Jade called to her, having looked over to see the kind of smile on Tori's face that told Jade that she was lost in some happy memory. Jade wished she could pull up one but she was too scatterbrained. At this point she needed Tori to hurry up and get over here so they could cuddle. Only Tori's physical form pressed to hers could calm her. The tea was just a bonus.

"I'm coming," Tori called back, placating her. She brought over the mugs and set them on the coffee table then sat down next to Jade who crawled into her lap to curl up against her. Her face tucked under Tori's jaw to run her nose along sensitive skin. Tori closed her eyes and bit her lip when Jade began to trail light kisses next. The affection relaxed Tori as well as Jade. Having Tori so close clouded her mind and effectively blocked out her thoughts. She continued over her jaw to stop so that her lips lingered at Tori's ear.

"I love you. You do so much for me and I'm grateful to have you," she mumbled sincerely, a hand coming up to pull at her chin so that their lips could meet. When it came to a natural end Tori stared into Jade's eyes. Yes, there was love burning in her blue-green depths, but there was also a troubling fear hidden and tucked away.

"I'll always love you," Tori replied, stroking Jade's cheek in adoration. She watched as the fear dissipated and resolved not to question its presence just yet, but it was troubling her now. What was Jade keeping from her? Jade's small smiled erased that train of thought though. She slid off Tori's lap and reached for her mug, taking a sip to test the temperature. She should have known, it was just how she liked it. She inhaled slowly and exhaled just as slowly, her body finally able to fully relax. Tori stayed quiet next to her, sipping her tea just to keep herself busy.

"When is Cat's birthday party starting?" Jade questioned, a subdued tone to her voice. Tori looked over at her to gauge her expression but it was carefully neutral. She was slowly recovering from whatever it was that had her uneasy. Jade was internally glad for it while Tori was a bit frustrated.

"She said to be there around seven. It's booked for two hours," Tori answered. Jade just nodded then took another drink.

"You wanna go hang at the beach until then?" she inquired. Tori was a little caught off guard by the odd suggestion but she wasn't against it. It was supposed to be nice out. She only questioned it because Jade didn't really like the beach. She burned easily, making it hard for her to enjoy it unless she was slathered in two layers of sunblock from head to toe. She didn't particularly like the cloying smell or the feel of it but she had no choice if she wasn't going to spend the whole time under an umbrella.

"Sure," Tori accepted. They finished their drinks then went up to Tori's room to pack. The trip over to the beach was a long one full of traffic once they were over there. It could have been worse but since they got there early it was manageable. They found parking and then set out across the sand. Jade laid out their towels while Tori put up the wide umbrella. She stuck it as deep in the sand as she could but failed to get it to stay. Jade reminded her to dig a small hole first and then try again. It went deeper that time and they both kicked sand back over it. Jade splayed out on her back under the umbrella. The tank top she borrowed from Tori rode up her stomach a little, baring her smooth pale skin. The shorts were hers that she had left at her house one day so they fit but still showed off her legs. With her hair fanned out under her Tori couldn't help but straddle her unexpectedly. Jade opened her eyes and sat up on her elbows with a smirk.

"Yes?" she questioned, sighing when Tori's fingers graced her exposed stomach.

"Nothin', just admiring you," Tori replied, leaning over slowly to kiss Jade. It was languid but burned, making Jade well aware of every part of Tori touching her. She gripped her by the hips and deepened the kiss but then Tori pulled away. She laid out on her own towel in full reach of the sun.

"You're gonna get dark laying out like that," Jade warned. It was her way to say Tori should join her in the shade. It was Tori's turn to smirk.

"I dunno, you might have to come get me," she teased.

"I'm not burning my ass off. You know I only have two skin tones," Jade responded, laying on her side and tugging on Tori's arm.

"Yep, marshmallow and burnt marshmallow," she replied with a laugh.

"Yeah, so get over here," Jade ordered, pulling on her again. Tori laughed as she tried to escape Jade. They were having fun play fighting when Jade abruptly locked up and pulled away. She froze, like a deer that sensed danger. Her eyes widened and she quickly looked around.

"Jade?" Tori called softly to her. She carefully touched Jade's arm and she flinched but didn't move away.

"Sorry, I just thought I heard…something," she answered after a long pause. What she had heard was the laughter of a little girl and it sounded all too close to the one she had heard before. She forced her thoughts away from that and grounded herself in the here and now. She was with Tori. She was at the beach. The blinding light of that damn ball of fire in the sky proved that there wasn't a single dark corner anywhere. She was safe.

"Ok…" Tori responded, unsure. She tentatively scooted over to Jade and hugged her close, hoping to shield her from whatever it was bothering her. Jade received her attempts gratefully and leaned into her. After a few minutes she was calm again. They spent most of the day cuddled up under the umbrella talking and sometimes whispering loving words, or in Jade's case teasing. They packed up and got ready to leave at four thirty, took an hour to get home, got ready for the party, and then were back on the road. They arrived fifteen minutes late because of an accident on the way over. Jade sat in the car, just staring at the building containing her worst hours ever spent in her life. To think, dealing with Cat's brother and sleeping over in her overly pink room while she talked her ear off had been the worst thing. That was nothing compared to this.

"Are you ready to go in?" Tori checked, glancing over at her. Without a word she squared her shoulders, put on a brave face, and then got out of the car. She was the first one in the doors but Tori was right behind her, coming up to stand next to her. A supportive hand was pressed to the small of her back, giving her the strength to move forward. She always figured herself to be the Wicked Witch of The West, but maybe now she was the Cowardly Lion. They easily spotted the table surrounded by their friends. Luckily it wasn't one of the ones directly in front of the stage. Tori watched Jade carefully and soon registered the way Jade would avoid looking anywhere near the show stage. She even physically removed Robbie from his chair to take his seat facing away from it.

"Hey chica, glad to see you made it," Andre greeted Tori in his usual way. The name alone made Jade flinch but she covered it by running a hand through her hair. Tori responded and hugged Andre then asked if she could have his seat so that she could sit next to Jade. He obliged and she sat down. Beck sat on Jade's other side. He nudged her to get her attention.

"You like the spot I chose?" he asked her.

"You chose?" she responded, a little stiltedly. Her words lacked the bite they normally held.

"Cat wanted a table in full view of the stage. I talked her into a table down. My goal was the farthest table but she wouldn't have it. I have no clue how she finds those things adorable," he replied. Jade managed a grateful smile.

"Thanks," she whispered, looking down at her anxiously gripping fingers digging her nails into her palms. Beck followed her gaze and patted her hand.

"No problem," he said. As much as he wanted Jade to open up about what really happened there at night he knew not to pry or she would forever clam up. His best bet would be to let her share when she felt ready.

"Jade, Tori, you're here! Yay! Let's get pizza now!" Cat shouted, then stood to wave over an employee. While she was ordering their two large pizza's Tori focused on keeping Jade calm. She held the same level of awareness the last time she was here but she could tell Jade was now two times worse than her. Her leg jittered under the table until Tori rubbed her thigh soothingly. She sat ramrod straight and her eyes flicked everywhere. Eventually Tori wrapped a protective arm around Jade and rested her head on her shoulder. Jade loosened up a little but it was better than nothing. The pizzas were served twenty minutes later and everyone dug in while they talked among each other. Jade took small bites every once in a while but sat silently most of the time. Tori was more than concerned for her. Jade spent the time in her head, as she always tended to do. She had never been more scared in her life. Such an occurrence was thought impossible before. But despite that, she wasn't going to quit. Jade West wasn't a quitter no matter how tough it got.

She told herself to at least last the week then quit, or maybe get the place shut down while she was at it. But for now, she had to get through this party for Cat's sake. Time seemed to take forever and was only tolerable when she was having a conversation, but even so, she wasn't all there. The incessant singing and playing of the band on stage was frustratingly innocent and it clashed horribly with the truth. It also took one look at the animatronics to trigger the images and sounds of the hallucinations she had begun to become familiar with, however, they were quick and flashed by without lingering like usual. She wasn't aware that she was resting her elbow on the table and holding her head in her hands, her expression distressed, until Tori snapped her out of it. Jade looked up and took in her surroundings. Robbie was with Cat over by the stage. She gave them a quick glance to avoid the band once again. Andre was talking with Beck further down the table. Bother were eating more pizza. Tori was right next to her, having not left her spot since sitting down.

"Twenty minutes more and then we can go," Tori mentioned. She meant it to be in a casual manner but Jade knew it was to placate her and encourage her to hold out just a little longer. After all, if she could do it under attack for six hours she could do it for twenty minutes minus the attacks. It should be easy. As the imaginary timer in her head ticked down she was closer and closer to getting out, if only for a few hours, before she would have to return.

"Yay, they agreed to do it!" Cat cheered as she ran over to the table with Robbie following, her high voice piercing through the noise to reach Jade. Do? Do what? She looked around her and blanched when she saw Freddy being led off the stage. He walked in a heavy and slow stride but Jade knew he was capable of much more. They were underestimating him. She didn't know she was even on her feet until Tori brought her back into focus by gripping her hand.

"Are they stupid? What the fuck are they trying to pull?" she questioned, turning away to leave but Tori tightened her grip.

"Jade," she said, voice soft.

"I can't be here Tori. They know me. I know they do. They'll, they'll…I don't know! But I'm not letting him anywhere near me," Jade responded, her voice wavering and unsteady. She moved away again and a sad frown pulled at Tori's lips. She never saw Jade so frightened before. Freddy as now standing by their table. Cat ran up to him and instantly started her babbling. She must have been close enough to a kid that he interacted with her just fine as long as the supervising employee stood back. They shook hands and Jade was scared it would crush Cat's hand, but the way it moved was gentle. The jingling tune coming from it made her sick and a shiver of dread ran down her back. She thought she heard that last night but she wasn't sure with everything else that was going on.

"Jade? Jade, hey, focus on me," Tori called to her, gripping her by the chin to make her look at Tori instead of the animatronic standing behind her. Her warm brown eyes grounded her.

"Come on, let's wait it out away from him," she suggested, grabbing her by the hand with their fingers locked and pulling her to the restrooms. In the narrow hall Jade pulled away to pace. Tori watched her, not knowing what to do.

"I can't believe they pulled that shit. Do they want another incident? Hell, he may not bite but those hands could do some damage. What's wrong with them?" she ranted, her hands animated as she talked.

"They're so desperate for business they're willing to risk it apparently," Tori suggested. Jade paced three more times before slowing down and taking deep breaths.

"Can you check and see if he's gone?" she asked. Tori nodded and moved to peek around the corner. She saw Freddy making his way back on stage so she returned with the good news.

"He's gone, or, at least nowhere near our table anymore," she informed Jade. She didn't like being reminded that those things weren't as far away as she would like so she couldn't help but lash out.

"I'm well aware of that, thank you," Jade snapped. Every minute that passed she felt like they would just jump from the stage and attack. What held them back? They could. It was possible. And that's what made her uneasy. She let Tori take her by the hand and walk her back at a slow pace.

"Where were you guys? We had a visit from Fazbear himself. It was pretty neat," Andre said when he saw them return.

"I had to wazz, sue me," Jade growled.

"You had to take Tori too?" he teased, wiggling his brows.

"Whatever I decide to do in the bathroom is none of your business thank you very much," Tori spoke up, going along with his joke to smooth over any suspicion. He laughed and it was dropped. Ten minutes later Jade breathed a sigh of relief when it came to an end. Back in her seat and lost in thought she missed the whole opening presents part so she went rigid when Cat skipped over and suddenly hugged her from behind, her grip tight. It took her a moment to register that it wasn't danger then she was pushing her off.

"What was that for?" she demanded, turning in her seat to face her friend. She was glad Cat blocked the stage from this angle.

"For my gift, silly! The one you and Tori gave me. It's so pretty, thank you!" Cat replied, holding out her wrist to show Jade the sparkling pink thing. Tori must have gotten it and told Cat it was from both of them. Being so busy with this night shift ordeal made Jade totally overlook getting Cat a gift, but Tori covered for her. She loved her even more for it. She would have to pay her back at least half the price, even if she refused to take it.

"Oh, you're welcome. Glad you like it," Jade answered, smiling in that forced way all the employees shared. Great, now she was one of them. Cat skipped off to thank the others and Jade stood to start walking out. She froze in her tracks when she happened to look at the stage. Freddy was looking right at her. She knew it was immature but she flipped him off on the way out the door. She stood leaning against the wall outside, waiting for the rest of the gang to catch up. They came out ten minutes later, each carrying something for Cat. They dropped it off in Andre's car, exchanged hugs, then everyone piled in while Jade and Tori went to Jade's car. She only had time to drop Tori off, accept a rather heated make out session she insisted on to ease her nerves, and then she went home to get dressed before driving back over. She was determined not to let it get to her. She wasn't going to back down.


	5. Chapter 5

Jade sat in her car, going through what had started to become habit. It was breathing exercises that helped her remain calm. When she was ready, she walked in. The other employees seemed eager to get out the door; more so than usual. On her way to the office she became aware of the fact that she hadn't seen Preston earlier that day when she was there for Cat's party. Even if she was mostly out of it she thought he would come over to greet her. But he wasn't there. She began to wonder if anything happened to him. Hopefully it wasn't something too serious. Maybe he felt sick…or maybe he did something that really angered their manager. Was he fired? Or worse? She shoved the thoughts aside and walked into the cleaned up office. It looked tidier than it had started out before. Footsteps made her spin around and see the manager himself walk in.

"Nice job taking care of the company's equipment," he stated, holding up the tablet she had been using. The screen was cracked. It must have happened when she knocked everything off the desk.

"This is coming out of your pay. You're lucky I have a backup. Break this and you'll be fired, got that?" he told her. She nodded.

"Yeah, crystal," she replied. He shoved the new tablet into her hands and then turned to leave.

"Where's Preston?" she inquired. The manager stopped at the doorway, rested a hand on it, and then looked over his shoulder at her.

"He violated company policy and I had no choice but to let him go," he answered. It was almost like a heavy stone dropped into her gut. Was that some hidden meaning that he had been killed? Hopefully he really was just fired.

"Oh," she replied, having nothing else to say. He left, and minutes later, the lights went out. Jade took her seat and prepared to quickly flip through the camera feeds when Preston's voice filled the room.

" _Hey! Hey, wow, day four. I knew you could do it. Uh, hey, listen, I may not be around to send you a message tomorrow. (muffled shouting) It's-It's been a bad day here for me. Um, I-I'm glad that I recorded my messages for you (cleared throat) uh, when I did. Hey, do me a favor. Maybe sometime, uh, you could check if I'm still around the next day? I mean, (banging) I'm gonna try to fight this but I may be kicked out by now. Maybe it won't be so bad. (shouting) Uh, I-I-I always wondered when he would catch on that I knew more than he wanted me to. I never did follow his 'company policy', crap. You know- (angry yelling) oh no- (noises followed by scuffling and static)."_

Jade was sitting at the edge of her seat, trying not to worry. She had her own things she had to deal with. She couldn't let this turn of events keep her from that so she went back to her surveillance. Chica and Bonnie were already on the move. A half hour of quick switches between the cameras and the lights later and Foxy was now peeking out of the curtains. She cursed under her breath and kept Freddy in place on stage with regular checks. She was on the fine line between failure and success every time she was here. These animatronics knew no bounds. She had to be quicker with her actions. The sound of an incoming hallucination made her fumble but there was nothing. So where was the sound coming from? She checked the lights and Chica was there. She closed the right door and pulled up the tablet to go back to Freddy and Foxy. She stopped Freddy from moving but not Foxy who had already taken off. She shut the left door before he sprinted to attack. While he was banging on the door she made a note of Chica still outside the other door.

"Shit, at this rate I'll lose power," she growled, glancing up at the dimming light bulb above. With Foxy returning to his curtain and no sign of Bonnie she opened the left door. Chica was gone so she opened the right door too. The sounds were back again a while later when she was busy checking on Freddy, who was in the dining area, and Foxy. This time she searched where they were coming from and saw Chica in the east hall corner. She was twitching erratically, her eyes blinked, and her mouth snapped open and closed all while making that noise that grated on Jade's senses. She closed the right door again and went back to look at Foxy but tapped the backstage camera feed on accident. There was Bonnie, staring directly into the camera. It threw her off for a moment because his eyes were completely black, except for white, pinprick-sized pupils. She changed the camera to Foxy then Freddy who moved a room up. She checked both lights, went back to Foxy, checked the lights again, then Foxy, then Freddy. He hadn't moved.

With quick taps of the screen she marveled that she was starting to get the hang of juggling everything. It was easier to catch Bonnie and Chica approaching because of the strange sounds they made. Bonnie seemed to twitch violently like Chica too. The only time it got hard was when a hallucination struck, rendering it almost impossible to pay attention. This was what allowed Foxy to attack again, forcing Jade to close the left door right away. She checked the east hall light to make sure Chica wasn't there and then looked for Freddy. His jingle coming from the disabled kitchen camera told her he was there. She set the camera on pirate cove and then opened the left door after checking for Bonnie. Before he had been right outside the door, waiting, and the only way she knew was because the light outlined his silhouette. It was a little hard to see at first with the flickering light down the hall but he had been there. The bulb over her stuttered and she glanced up at it with worry. Tonight the animatronics had been far more aggressive in their pursuit. She hoped the power held a little longer.

"Almost," she whispered. A deep laugh far off in the darkness made her look at the east hall. With the minor distraction came a consequence because the garbled demonic mumbling was back accompanied by a quiet, raspy, groan-like noise the closer it got. Panicked she went with checking the east hall first, jumping from her chair in her haste, to see nothing. Her gut twisted in fear when she turned to hit the button on the left door only to skid to a stop. Bonnie stood there in the doorway. He let out a metallic screech and lunged but quick thinking had her kicking the chair at him. He crashed to the floor in a heap and she bolted out the right door, running smack into Chica who tried grabbing at her but Jade dodged in time. Now she was running down the east hall out to the dining room, half blind in the dark, but the arrival of the morning sun aided her just enough. A deep laugh and then advancing footsteps alerted her to Freddy coming out of the kitchen. Her heart felt like it would fail her, it was beating so hard, but she kept pushing herself to run. She hit her foot on the leg of a nearby chair and she almost fell but she stayed standing. Bringing her eyes up from the ground due to her near fall they landed on Foxy eyeing her from outside the curtain.

"Dammit," she hissed, facing off with him. Freddy and Chica were somewhere behind her and Bonnie and Foxy were in front of her. She was trapped. This was it.

"Come on then. Get it over with," she growled at the fox. Suddenly, he jolted forward, sprinting, as was his style. Jade ran at him full tilt and then dropped into a skid that tripped up the animatronic. His heavy foot hit her shin hard, possibly leaving a bruise, but she succeeded in toppling him. She tried to get up but her leg hurt too much so she was forced to crawl. His wild thrashing as he still tried to get her caused his hook to swipe through the air, cutting her upper arm. She cried out at the sharp pain and gripped her right arm as warm blood already began to seep out. He snapped his jaws at her but she kicked him in the face forcefully. He fell back and she smirked triumphantly, but then she was hauled off the floor by the back of her shirt. Twisting around, she saw that it was Bonnie.

She was seconds from hauling back and smacking him in the head with the tablet she still clutched in her hands but then her phone's alarm went off. The animatronics surrounding her all froze at the same time. Jade hung from Bonnie's grip for a few seconds before he dropped her to the floor. She hit the tile on her back and barely managed to keep her head from smacking the hard floor. She let herself fall limp now that her attackers abandoned killing her in favor of returning to their places. Jade stayed where she was, too tired and worn out from the adrenaline rush and fear of dying, that she couldn't find it in her to move. She ached all over. Her phone stopped vibrating and the world began to fade. Her eyes fell shut and then she was unconscious. That was where she was found when the pizzeria opened. She was awoken by the girl she recognized when she had first walked in a couple days ago.

"…ey…you…llo?" the girl called to her but Jade couldn't hear it all. She gave herself a minute to let her brain catch up before trying again.

"Are you ok?" the girl asked. Jade nodded weakly. The girl and another employee helped her up on her feet, dragging her over to the closest chair. The guy went back for the tablet which he had to clean blood off of before returning it to the office. The girl stayed with Jade, making sure she could sit up on her own. She could, and sat there gripping at her arm.

"I'll be right back," the girl said, rushing off somewhere. Jade groaned and slumped back in the chair with her eyes closed. She was so tired and banged up. All she wanted was Tori and to fall asleep in her arms. When her fellow employee returned she had a first aid kit.

"Can you stand?" she asked, holding out a hand. Jade took it, and with some difficulty, she got up on her feet. The girl helped get her to the restrooms. It was slow going with her slight limp but they managed. Jade took a seat on the counter and let her push up her sleeve to clean and disinfect the injury. She then bandaged her arm after applying medicine.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice quiet like they would be overheard.

"I was attacked," Jade replied, looking to the employee while she was packing up the kit.

"By the animatronics," she stated. It wasn't a question. It was fact. Jade only nodded and brushed at her newly bandaged arm. Except for some specks of blood on her shirt and a little more on her sleeve it looked like she hadn't been wounded at all.

"Before you showed up we all took night shifts, switching every week because no one could hold down the position very long," she explained.

"Why don't you just quit?" Jade asked.

"I want to but I can't. This is my only source of money. I've been looking for another job though. Once I get it I'm gone," she replied. Jade reached down to pull up her pant leg. Her pale skin showed off a quickly darkening bruise that stood out vividly. The girl sucked in a hissing breath at the sight.

"That looks painful," she remarked.

"Just sore," Jade corrected. She stretched out to test her back and found that it might be bruised too, but only lightly if anything. She pushed down the pant leg and then slid off the counter carefully, trying to feel how her body reacted to holding herself up again.

"Why don't  **you**  quit?" the girl questioned, tilting her head in curiosity. Jade looked at her, debating what was safe to reveal.

"Let's just say I took the job for a reason. I don't exactly need it at the moment. It's just convenient to have it," she answered.

"How can this job be considered convenient?" the girl inquired, incredulous.

"For my particular needs it just is. I have to go. I think it's best that I leave before I crack a chair over our manager's head and take apart those fucking animatronics while I'm at it," she spat, taking slow steps to the door. The girl chuckled but fell silent as soon as they left the bathroom. Jade steeled herself then marched out, forcing her body not to react to the pain pulsing through her. Her fellow employee waved to her in farewell and went one way while Jade headed for the door. The second she was sitting in her car she groaned while letting her body relax completely. She might have slid right off her seat if the space hadn't been so small. When she felt ready to start moving again she quickly drove home where she soaked in a warm bath.

She kept her arm rested on the side so that it wouldn't get wet. An hour later and she remained motionless except for draining the cold water for more warm water. All was silent and she could finally relax. The front door opened and shut, causing Jade to be on guard. She listened to the person move around the house with knowledge of the place so it wasn't anyone she didn't know. She let herself relax and her eyes shut again. She tuned out the world this time, but opened her eyes and stilled when the door of the bathroom swung open. Looking around she didn't have much weapons so she grabbed the soap bar and prepared to chuck it as a painful distraction so that she could either find a new weapon or escape. The shadow cast on the floor was misshapen but the person it belonged to was the epitome of clarity.

"Why are you here?" Tori questioned, stepping further into the bathroom. Jade's body relaxed and she set down the bar of soap.

"What do you mean why am I here? I live here. Why are  **you**  here?" Jade countered, half playful and half genuinely questioning.

"You didn't show up and I started to worry…" Tori began.

"I said I would see you after work that day because I would and I did. When did I say that I would do that every single day?" Jade responded, a bit teasing. Tori put her hands on her hips, holding back a smile.

"But you have to so I can make sure you're ok," she demanded. Jade chuckled and slid down further in the water.

"Well I'm fine so you can go now," she replied, closing her eyes again. Tori huffed then began stripping. She was out of her clothes and stepping into the bath in record time.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Jade inquired, scrambling to adjust to Tori who sat herself between her legs and laid back on her.

"Relaxing with you," she responded. Jade smiled and wrapped her left arm around Tori's middle. Her right stayed where it was. Her thumb stroked her skin while Tori's hands ran down Jade's thighs before settling above her knees. They both closed their eyes and silence took over. They only moved when the water started to get cold again. Tori got out and Jade followed but Tori stopped her before she could walk out after drying off.

"Jade, what happened to you?" Tori asked, her eyes taking in the bandage on her arm and her bruised shin.

"Stupid story actually. I feel like a klutz just remembering. Please don't make me tell you," Jade pouted, securing her towel then wrapping her arms around Tori's neck. They rested on her shoulders and Jade leaned in.

"Fine," Tori relented for once. Jade smiled, kissed her, and pulled away to head into her room.

"So I'm guessing you fell," Tori spoke up when she followed Jade into her room while holding her clothes. Walking in she witnessed Jade drop her towel, allowing Tori to get a full view of her backside. Light discolored bruises marked her skin here and there.

"How so?" Jade answered while digging through her drawer. She found her undergarments and put them on then looked for something comfortable to wear.

"The bruises on your back," she answered, stepping closer to run her fingers over one on her shoulder blade.

"Let's not talk about that. I feel bad as it is," Jade said, pulling a shirt on and covering it. She wore sweats to remove the bigger bruise on her shin from sight. Tori got the last of her clothes on and turned to Jade.

"Ok, but let me help you redress your arm," she offered, lightly holding Jade by the wrist of her injured arm. She nodded and Tori pulled her back to the bathroom where she sat her down. Five minutes later she had unwrapped the old bandage, nagged about safety when she saw the gash, applied a new bandage after cleaning and disinfecting it once more, then put away the supplies. All the while Jade sat still like a good patient and let Tori work as well as badger her.

"Have you even eaten yet?" Tori continued. Jade rolled her eyes and grabbed Tori by the waist to pull her forward until she had no choice but to straddle Jade's lap. Jade's arms snaked around her waist and she kissed Tori on the forehead.

"You worry too much," she told her, their eyes meeting. She loved Tori's soft brown gaze on her. It was warm and loving.

"Of course I do. I love you too much to see you hurt in any way," Tori replied, looking back into Jade's blue-greens that used to sparkle bright with endless energy. She didn't like that they looked tired and only sparked when they were on Tori. She couldn't help but wonder what that place was doing to Jade. How much was Jade keeping from her? Jade looked away for a moment then brought her gaze back to Tori's.

"And I love you," she responded. She kissed Tori's nose then prepared to get up. Tori let out a noise of surprise and clung to Jade with her arms and legs. Jade laughed and supported her while she stood. Her leg protested the extra weight but she ignored it and carried Tori to the living room where she dropped her on a couch.

"I'll go make us something," Jade offered but Tori wasn't having it.

"Hold on,  **I'll**  make us something and  **you**  sit back and rest," she declined, pulling Jade to sit while she got up. The first thing she did was get an ice pack for Jade's leg. She wrapped it in a hand towel then went back to arrange Jade across the couch, so that she was laying down, and propped her leg up on some pillows. She pushed up Jade's pant leg and put the ice pack in place. Jade grit her teeth at first but then the tension left her with the numbing relief. Tori smiled at Jade, happy to help. Jade gestured for her to come closer so Tori did. Jade then pulled her in for a tender kiss they both smiled into.

"Thank you," Jade mumbled against Tori's lips.

"No problem," Tori replied, pecking her on the lips then pulling away. She went back into the kitchen and minutes later the smell of food reached Jade's nose. Tori's cooking was the best. Her mouth was already watering. Tori stuck around the rest of the day. They spent time together at Jade's house a few hours before they got a call to hang out. The gang wanted to see a movie and go out to eat. Jade and Tori agreed and headed out to meet up with them. In the parking lot of the theater Jade fought for a spot and cussed out some guy who tried to cut her off for it. The irony of the situation was that they ran into him again when they walked up to the theater kiosk. Tori saw him stare at Jade with a glare, as did the girl hanging off his arm. She must be his girlfriend. Jade caught his eye and silently they both looked at the last unoccupied window. Tori could see the challenge in Jade's eyes. She opened her mouth to stop her but it was no use. Jade was in no mood to take crap from anyone. Not when her life was threatened nightly by crazed robotic animal mascots. A testosterone ridden meathead was nothing compared to that. They both power walked, trying to get there before the other without making it obvious to anyone else. Jade got there first but the guy wasn't having it.

"Watch it," he growled.

"Back off or I'll make you," Jade snapped back.

"You're just looking for a fight aren't you?" he taunted, puffing out his chest with a smirk and shoving her back by the shoulders. She stumbled back but held her ground. Tori liked that Jade wasn't a lady. She didn't pretend to be either or use the excuse that women couldn't fight, let alone fight a man, but the side effect of that was Jade getting hurt, and that was too often for Tori. Jade stuck up for herself but at the expense of an injury. She didn't play well with others, especially if they challenged her. As Cat would say, she was an anti-social misfit filled with angst and rage. Not so much now but it would always be a part of her.

"Maybe, maybe not, but I know what you're looking for," she retorted.

"And what's that?" he sneered, stepping closer.

"Let's see, I think it's in here," she muttered, looking in her pockets for something. Tori, the guy, and his girlfriend all waited to see what Jade was getting at.

"Oh, here it is," she finally said, pulling her hand out of her pocket to flip him off. Instantly, he was angry.

"Why you little-" he snarled, pushing his girl away before lunging at Jade. She quickly sucker punched him before he could get to her. He faltered but kept going, landing a punch of his own. The blow was hard enough to send Jade reeling and the warm liquid on her lips told her that her nose was bleeding.

"Jade, stop it," Tori warned, moving to intervene but Jade just pushed her back. She was tired of getting the shit beat out of her. She tackled the guy around the waist and brought him crashing to the ground. His girlfriend shrieked but Jade ignored her, punching him twice, before Tori yanked her off. By now they had an audience of shocked movie patrons. Jade jerked away from Tori, panting heavily. She wiped at her face but Tori stopped her.

"Let's go," she insisted, pulling her away from the guy left dazed on the ground. His nose looked broken and a black eye was forming.

"Hey asshole, how many fingers am I holding up?" she taunted with a triumphant smirk. She held up both middle fingers and laughed when all he could do was glare. His girlfriend tried to help him but he just pushed her away. Jade let Tori drag her to the bathrooms to clean her up. A disapproving look was stuck to her face.

"He had it coming," Jade mumbled, cringing away when Tori pressed on her nose a little too hard.

"Sorry," Tori murmured, moving on to inspect Jade's red knuckles. She stroked them and brought them to her lips to kiss the inflamed skin then looked up at Jade.

"You know what I think?" she whispered.

"Clue me in on your diagnonsense doctor. Thrill me," Jade responded cynically.

"You never fight back unless you feel cornered. But what's making you feel that way Jade? It sure wasn't some jerk who didn't even deserve the time of day. So what is it? You don't talk to me as much anymore so now I have to ask. Is it your job?" Tori prodded, watching as Jade went from cocky and uncaring to troubled then concerned before fear shone through for a second. She concealed it quickly to replace it with a hardened mask; a typical Jade shield tactic.

"I don't want to talk about that," she spat, her voice jagged. Tori's brows creased in frustration but she took a breath and reminded herself that she needed to be the level headed one right now.

"I'm always willing to listen whenever you feel the need to talk about something. You know I'll be there for you," she said quietly, taking a step back. Jade sensed her slight disappointment and hurt. It deflated her faster than any words could. She realized how out of line she was and sagged.

"I don't mean to be distant. I just…I want to keep you safe," Jade muttered, wiping at her nose when she felt the blood dripping again. Tori sighed and wet another paper towel to clean her up, her touch gentle.

"You're getting a slight black eye," she commented, brushing at her cheekbone softly. Jade closed her eyes and held Tori's hand to her face.

"I figured," Jade grumbled. She opened her eyes to look into Tori's, her hand coming up to brush at her cheek fondly.

"I can do this Tor. I can. I just need time. Please don't ask me to share any information with you. It's safer if you don't know so that they can't hurt you too," she continued, hoping it was enough to keep her from asking again. Unfortunately it just made Tori want to ask even more. She had so many questions.

"I want to be able to protect you too. You shouldn't have to go through this alone, or at all for that matter," Tori whispered, touching gently at Jade's injured arm briefly. She had a feeling Tori wouldn't fully believe her lie. After all, besides her workplace being known for danger she wasn't the klutzy one between them. That was reserved for her sunny half Latina.

"I know, but I want to. I'm going to expose that place for what it really is and I won't stop until it's closed for good," Jade stated, her voice fierce. The way her slim brows pulled over her slender nose and she bared her teeth slightly reminded Tori of her girlfriend's long persevering determination, even in the face of defeat. Nothing got her down. Even when she lost she never really did because she didn't believe it to be. It was a quality she admired but it still bothered her at times. Tori sighed heavily and fell into Jade, hugging her close. Jade was a little caught off guard but wrapped her in her arms.

"Why can't you be less difficult? Or at least keep your safety in mind. You're going to give me a heart attack," Tori complained good-naturedly. She was trying to alleviate the situation and Jade was grateful for it. She chuckled and gave Tori a squeeze then stepped back.

"I'm more fun that way," she replied with a crooked grin.

"You're more of a handful, you mean," Tori corrected, smiling. Jade kissed her cheek.

"Maybe. So, how about we find the others before they start messaging us asking where we are. We still need to decide on a movie and get the tickets. Plus, you know Cat needs her candy, Beck and Andre need their popcorn, and Robbie needs his soda even though he has the bladder of a squirrel like Cat," Jade joked. Tori laughed, the bright sound clearing away the tension and sadness that hovered over them.

"Alright," Tori said with a nod, tossing the damp red speckled paper towel. They washed their hands and then Tori helped make sure Jade's nose was done bleeding. She still looked like she got in a fight though. It was really quite obvious. Jade threw an arm over her shoulder and led her out.

"Again, what am I going to do with you?" Tori remarked, shaking her head. Jade leaned close so that her lips brushed Tori's ear.

"Lucky for you I know of a great activity that involves you, me, and a bed," she muttered, her voice sultry and teasing. It sent a shiver down Tori's spin.

"Sex?" she guessed, highly interested in carrying out that particular activity. Jade made a face and looked at her with a raised brow. As much as she wanted to smirk at Tori's answer and agree she had to keep up with looking incredulous so that she could mess with her girl.

"No, sleep. Geez Tor, get your head out of the gutter," Jade scolded, to which Tori just rolled her eyes and smiled contentedly.

"But that sounds good too. We can definitely fit that in," Jade told her, expression sly. She turned Tori's face to hers so that she could kiss her and Tori laughed after she pulled away. Jade smiled, genuinely glad to see Tori happy again. Only happiness fit her; nothing angry, sad, or close to negative in any way. They headed back outside where the gang stood looking for them.

"Where were you guys?" Beck asked, looking from Tori to Jade and back again.

"We were a little held up," Jade answered. At that moment Cat gasped and held a hand to her gaping mouth.

"Jade, what happened?" she questioned.

"Holy chiz!" Andre exclaimed.

"Long story short I heroically beat justice into an inconsiderate asshole," Jade announced.

"He cut her off twice, but for the record, he probably didn't deserve to get beat up," Tori added. Jade shrugged, indifferent.

"Did we decide on a movie?" she asked, changing the subject. They all bounced ideas off each other then came to an agreement. Like Jade said, each of their friends got their preferred snack after buying the tickets. They took a seat almost in the back where Jade sat back with her boots on the chair in front of her.

"Fuck me, the side of my face feels like it's throbbing," Jade bemoaned, rubbing at her newly bruised face.

"You have a terrible vocabulary," a woman in front of them said when she turned around to glare.

"Fuck you," Jade responded. The woman made an offended expression and got up to find another seat.

"Of course, it's not like you started it, right?" she continued sarcastically. The woman kept walking away with her nose in the air.

"Can't you ever shut up?" Tori demanded, playful.

"I don't think I've ever tried that before," Jade responded seriously.

"Start practicing then," Tori teased. Jade snickered.

"Sure thing ma'am," she agreed. Tori took one look at Jade's loving smile and couldn't help but kiss her thoroughly. Jade hummed appreciatively against her lips. They spent half the move that way so that when they started paying attention they had no idea what was going on but the plot seemed good enough to watch the rest. Jade wished she could remain in this moment forever, but she couldn't. In several hours she would be sitting in that cramped room, but for now, she would enjoy the moment.


	6. Chapter 6

It was dead silent when Jade jolted awake in the middle of the night, searching her surrounding for danger. It took her some time to recognize where she was and remembered that she had spent the night with Tori again. She smiled at that and rolled over to hold her but her hand met cold sheets. She sat up and ran her hand over the bed like she couldn't believe Tori wasn't there. Where could she be? Maybe the bathroom. Jade slipped out of bed and moved through the dark house. She knew it so well by now that it wasn't hard getting around. She reached the bathroom and stopped when she was met with the open door and the lights off. Maybe she was getting a late night snack. Tori wasn't one to eat late but it was still possible so she took the stairs down to the kitchen. On her way she felt like something was off. Something didn't feel right. It was like she was in the Vega house but at the same time she wasn't.

It was more like a replica with shades of color that were almost but not exactly the colors they should be. She wasn't comfortable in this place. Stepping off the last step of the staircase she froze in terror at the sight of a Freddy Fazbear suit slumped where one of the couches should have been. Blood leaked from between the teeth of its open mouth to drip down the chest. Jade's mouth fell open to let out a scream that was full of fright but mostly distraught rage, because inside the empty sockets sat brown colored eyes she would know anywhere. She ran forward, intent on doing something but not knowing what, only for something to grab her from behind. The grip was tight on her and refused to let go. She growled and fought the unyielding hold. Her surroundings blurred around her in a mix of color until she was tossing and turning back in bed, the sheets twisting around her and the person holding her down.

"Jade! Jade, stop it! You're dreaming!" a frantic but very much lively voice yelled at her. She relaxed at the sound of the soothing voice she recognized.

"Tori," she whimpered, hot tears burning her eyes, but she didn't allow them to fall. Tori detected the waver in her tone and held her close.

"It's ok, it was just a dream. You're safe. I got you," she whispered. Jade shifted in her embrace so that she could face her. She brought her shaking hand up to trace Tori's cheekbones, her gaze taking in Tori's bright yet worried brown eyes. She could see them clearly even in the poor lighting. She kissed her firmly with tears running down her face then tucked her head under Tori's chin and gripped her around the middle like her life depended on it.

"You're ok," she mumbled, her words muffled in Tori's chest.

"I'm fine. I'm right here," Tori replied, rubbing her back. Eventually Jade's labored breaths and tears slowed to a stop. Tori waited a while and then chose to break the long standing silence.

"You kept screaming my name and threatening that you'd kill someone for hurting me. When I tried to hold you, you fought against me. You wouldn't listen when I tried to snap you out of it so I just held tighter and called to you," Tori explained. Jade's fingers relaxed from digging into Tori's back. She removed them to pull away and lay on her back with her hands resting on her stomach. In her dream she had been at Tori's house but in reality she was in her own. She hadn't really registered it until she calmed down, but now she remembered. After the movies they went back to Jade's house where they talked and napped next to each other. It had been a warm day so Jade had worn a sports bra and shorts. Tori wore a tank top and shorts. Despite the bare minimum clothes, Jade had broken out in a cold sweat.

"I thought they killed you," she muttered, voice scratchy so she cleared her throat.

"Who?" Tori asked, scooting closer and propping herself on her elbow so that she could see Jade's face. A twisted frown of pain and anger pulled at her lips. Her brows furrowed so that creases lined her forehead. Tori reached out and cupped the opposite side of her face, pulling lightly so that Jade looked at her.

"The animatronics," she finally replied. Tori's concerned expression made Jade pull away but Tori held her in place.

"You know what I'm going to tell you," she informed her.

"I know," Jade replied.

"Then please save me the trouble and just listen," she responded.

"I can't," Jade answered, as always. Tori sighed heavily and plopped down next to her but facing away. Jade glanced over at her, hazelnut tresses fanned out over the pillow. She ran a hand down Tori's back and then over her waist to her stomach. Tori remained still the whole time. Jade continued to tuck her hand under the hem of Tori's top, the heat of her skin burning Jade's hand, and then pulled her closer so that they were flush together. With Tori's back to Jade's front and Jade's legs tangling with Tori's it was hard not to be affected. Jade kissed her jaw, her neck, and then her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she whispered against Tori's skin. And she was. Tori could tell. She just couldn't understand why she would keep putting herself through this. It was obviously hurting her mentally as well as physically.

"Just be careful and come back to me after every shift. I want to make sure you're ok and the only way to do that is to see you for myself. Can you do that for me? Please?" Tori requested. Jade pressed her forehead to Tori's back and gave her a squeeze of reassurance.

"Yeah, I can do that," she replied. Tori turned in her arms and pulled Jade in for a heated kiss that was akin to a slow burn. Warmth enveloped them both, followed by contentment.

"Love you Jade," Tori mumbled, her lips lingering close to Jade's.

"Love you Tor," Jade replied, bringing their lips together once again. They then cuddled close and waited out the time until Jade had to leave. When that time came Jade drove Tori home. Now they were sitting in Jade's car because Tori didn't want to let her go until she got a good long kiss and another exchange of 'I love you'. Once she did, she got out and walked up to her door. She glanced back at Jade one more time then went inside. Jade drove to the pizzeria from hell and parked in the same spot she decided was pretty much hers. It was in the far corner and no one ever seemed to park there. Not even customers. After she got out of the car she straightened her uniform. She had thrown it in the wash to get the blood stains out and now it was almost good as new. That other mystery stain still stuck around though. She took her time crossing the parking lot and entering. Her personal nurse from that morning greeted her.

"Hey," she said with a less forced smile.

"Hey," Jade responded.

"Oh, what happened to your…" she indicated, looking sympathetic as she gestured to her own face. Jade understood she meant the black eye and shrugged.

"I got in a little bit of a disagreement," she clarified.

"A  **little**  disagreement? It looked to be a big one," the girl replied.

"Yeah, you should have seen  **him** ," Jade jested, humor in her tone. The girl shook her head with a sigh.

"I see nothing slows you down for long," she observed.

"Nope. So, I never got your name," Jade replied.

"Hazel," she answered.

"Thanks for the save," Jade responded.

"No problem. I'm a close friend of Preston. I figured since he won't be here I'd keep an eye on you for him. He seemed to think you were a good person to have around and I trust him," she explained. Jade quirked a brow.

"What if he hadn't said anything? Would you still have helped?" she questioned. Hazel looked embarrassed when she replied.

"Y-yeah, I would have. You haven't been around that long but the strength you have to get through each shift amazes me and, I don't know, I guess I look up to you," she muttered. Jade chuckled and shrugged.

"What can I say? I'm a hard worker," she responded jokingly. Hazel allowed a true smile before it waned. Their manager came out from the backstage room so Jade waved her farewell and hurried to the office, not wanting to encounter him. She knew she would have some choice words for him and she wasn't going to risk getting fired after getting this far. So she took her seat in the uncomfortable chair after picking up the tablet and turning it on. A minute passed and then the lights went out. All was quiet and she was alone to do her job once again. This time around she was determined. Nothing was getting in the small room of defense. Not this time. She was ready despite her worn, sleep deprived, and tension filled body. She cycled through the camera feeds once when the phone recording went off. She was hoping to hear Preston but the gravelly voice of the manager filled the room.

" _Whatever that spaz has been telling you is all a lie. Poor guy. He's looney. I took him in when no other place would give him a job. It doesn't look like he fits here either. I'll find him a good job somewhere else. Anyway, congratulations on your fifth night here at Freddy's. Have a good one. See you in the morning."_

"See you too wazzbag," Jade replied, scowling. Just hearing his voice put her in a bad mood. It increased her determination though and in no time she was expertly navigating the camera feeds, hall lights, and doors. The animatronics seemed just as hard pressed to get at her but they failed every time. Even Freddy only got as far as the east hall corner before she caught on to him and shut the door. He was forced to move on just like the others. She kept a steady schedule of checking on Freddy, checking the lights, going back to Freddy, returning to the lights, then checking on Freddy again before checking pirate cove for any movement from Foxy. The attention wasn't too much and it wasn't too little so he stayed where he was the whole time. The only threat was Chica and Bonnie. The hallucinations still plagued her but she learned to ignore them.

By the time six rolled around Jade was able to let her guard down. It wasn't necessarily an easy night as she just knew what to do now. With the morning came the return of the day shift workers. Jade set down the tablet and walked out of the office taking the west hall this time. Just to try something new. She thought she saw the curtain of pirate cove ripple with movement when she passed but it must have just been her because it was still when she looked directly at it. She decided to further taunt the animatronics by walking past the stage. They scared the chiz out of her but that didn't mean she would let them get the best of her. They should be careful of her too. She made a mental note to start carrying her scissors again as she headed towards the door. She turned away from glaring at Freddy to put on the breaks when the manager stood blocking her.

"Saying good-bye?" he questioned, a little eerily if Jade was being honest.

"Sure, whatever," she replied, crossing her arms and cocking a hip.

"Here's your check. Good job sport. In fact, I think I'll need you for two days of overtime," he stated, holding out a rectangular slip of paper between his index and middle finger. She took it from him and ran a hand through her hair with her free hand.

"Maybe, maybe not. It depends," she replied, calm. He frowned. Intimidation was her forte. Coming from someone else it didn't irk her in the slightest.

"On?" he inquired, his tone rigid.

"Whether this place is still standing by then," she replied ominously. She set her death glare on him now, her clear eyes pinning him in place. His dark brown, almost black, eyes burrowed into hers. Hidden anger boiled underneath the surface.

"Oh? Is that a threat?" he growled low, leaning toward her. His hands remained at his sides but that didn't mean Jade wasn't going to keep them in mind. A squeak made her eyes flick to the band on stage. All three were looking at them. He took advantage of her looking away to step forward. She quickly stepped back and hit the corner of a table.

"No one threatens me. Especially an employee. I could have you removed," he returned fire.

"Go ahead, then I can file a complaint and get out of here quicker," she countered. He grabbed her by her injured arm and squeezed. She grit her teeth together to fight back the yelp that almost left her lips. She could feel the damaged skin break under the force. She was probably bleeding again. The thought that he knew of her injury, either seeing it the morning of or spying any other way, made her suspicious. He was also playing dirty by using it against her.

"Don't dabble in other's business girl. You may find yourself in a situation you won't be getting out of so easily," he hissed under his breath.

"Is that a threat to my life?" she snapped back.

"You threaten my business I threaten your life, because this business  **is**  my life, and I won't have a meddling kid get in my way," he seethed.

"Ok then. I'll be sure to tell the Scooby Gang not to interfere," she retorted scathingly. She yanked out of his hold and brushed past him. She shoved open the doors of the entrance and stomped out to her car. She slid in and threw the check in the glove compartment before buckling up and driving away. She was pissed off. She wasn't sure if it was a combination of being tired all the time, unable to sleep, scared of almost everything, worried about how it was affecting her as well as Tori, and everything else in between, but she was pissed. Even this irrational frustration scared her. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. Not since before she had been going out with Tori. She was always able to express herself with her. She didn't hold back, so there was no build-up of emotions to cause this. So what did? Was it because she couldn't share this burden with anyone? And if so, why couldn't she deal with it on her own? Or maybe it was something else entirely.

Whatever it was it made her angry. She parked her car a little ways down the street from the Vega house and walked over until she was in the yard preparing to climb the tree right outside Tori's room. The climb was effortless this time around and the window was open. Tori was waiting for her. She quickly slipped inside, her arrival pulling Tori's attention to her from her place at her desk. She had her laptop open but she turned away from it to face Jade. She stood from her chair to say something but Jade wasn't in the mood to talk. She had to relieve the stress, alleviate it before she snapped. She strode over and grabbed at Tori's top then backed her up until she was shoved against a wall. Her lips captured Tori's in a rough kiss, her hands already pulling at her top. When they parted for a second to catch their breath Jade yanked it off her. Tori wasn't wearing anything under and Jade wasted no time palming soft flesh. Tori groaned and her back arched.

"Jade, hold on," she gasped, biting her lip when Jade's mouth joined her hands. Her tongue drew hot, wet, circles along her skin and she shuddered. Jade enjoyed the reaction and reconnected their lips so that her body could press to Tori's in all the right places. Tori submitted to Jade's probing tongue in her mouth but pulled away once it returned to its owner.

"Stop, wh-what's wrong?" Tori tried again. Jade paused to stare at Tori, her eyes dilated with lust and something else hidden in their depths. Her hands gripped at Tori's hips and she leaned in to nip at Tori's ear.

"Don't question it. Please, just help me forget. Even if it's temporary," she begged, her breath hot on Tori's skin now that she moved from her ear to kiss at her neck. Jade's hand slid under her pajama pants to teasingly touch her over her underwear. Tori let out a long exhale.

"Ok," she finally responded, nodding. She groaned when Jade's kisses turned to biting and her hand pulled out of Tori's pants. Jade bit down hard at the juncture where her neck met her shoulder then sucked at her skin, making her knees weak. She almost slid to the floor but Jade's body held her up. Their hips pressed together with Jade's eagerness. Her hands flit up and down Tori's sides. The mark she left spurred her to leave more, but before her mouth could descend on tan skin again Tori pushed her back. She stripped Jade of her shirt and unclasped her bra all before pushing her back on the bed. Jade scooted up and Tori followed on all fours, making Jade lick her lips at the display. When Tori reached her she straddled Jade and ran her hands down her arms slowly. She made sure to be gentle on her injured right arm, which she noticed must have been bothered recently as the bandage was slightly red. She would have to tend to that later. Reaching Jade's she gripped them and raised them over Jade's head, pinning them to the bed. Jade's stretched out torso, heaving bare chest, and toned abs made her gulp. She never failed to amaze Tori.

"You're so beautiful," she stated, lust interlacing every word. Jade shifted under her and her brows furrowed.

"Tori," she panted, needy. Tori smiled and leaned down to kiss her softly, however, Jade growled and bit at her bottom lip, drawing blood. She wanted it rough. Jade liked taking her time, making it nice and slow and loving, but not this time. She needed it now, and Tori knew she was only ever like this when something seriously weighed on her that she wanted to escape from so she obliged. She licked the small amount of blood from her lip and then dived in to bite Jade back, except her teeth found Jade's shoulder instead. She cried out at the unexpected pain but pleasure was quick to follow, dragging a moan from her. One hand moved to flit around Jade's navel while Tori moved her mouth from the fresh mark she made to kiss and lick up Jade's throat. It vibrated under her mouth with an appreciative hum. She shifted and worked at opening Jade's pants then tugged at them. Jade helped her remove them, taking her underwear with them. Tori got them down to Jade's ankles then pushed it all off along with her shoes. They fell off the bed in a heap but Tori was already kissing up Jade's legs. She bit and sucked at her inner thigh and left her hanging by jumping to biting at her hip and side. Jade fisted Tori's hair and guided her back up to her, full lips commanding her own.

"Don't make me wait," she moaned, running a hand down Tori's back and then up. She deviated off her shoulder to run her fingers down her arm to her hand which she picked up and relocated lower. Tori kissed her, deepening it just as she gave Jade what she wanted. Jade whimpered into her mouth and Tori pulled away to watch the process of her unraveling in ecstasy. Tori kept a constant and unmerciful pace which made Jade's body shake in pleasure. Just watching her made Tori's arousal heighten. She ground into Jade as she worked her higher. Jade clung to her, nails digging in Tori's back while her own arched. Her other hand was buried in the sheets, twisting them. Tori groaned when Jade dragged her nails down a little before digging in again. She breathed in Jade's ear, trying to catch her breath before she could speak.

"Te quiero mucho, mi querida," Tori murmured, her voice deep and sultry. She loved when Tori did that. She was so close now. Jade whimpered and locked her arms around Tori. One hand found its way back into her hair.

"Dame todo tu amor," she responded, out of breath, before pulling Tori into a passionate kiss. Tori complied with her demand and sent Jade tumbling over the edge with her ardent ministrations, muscles contracting in reaction. She bit back her cry of pleasure but soon Tori's lips were on hers and their tongues met. A deep moan came from Tori as her own body shuddered through her release. Tori breathed heavily onto Jade's mouth and she did the same. Jade pecked her on the lips then rolled them over. Her arms shook as they tried to keep her freshly satisfied body hovering over Tori. She kissed down her slender torso and stopped at her navel.

She pulled off her bottoms and tossed them before continuing lower. Tori cried out but quickly cut it off by biting down on her knuckle. Jade lavished her thoroughly with her mouth and tongue until Tori was once again at the edge. She finished her off quickly with her fingers and left her panting for air. Jade waited for her to catch her breath enough to kiss her lovingly. When they parted Jade laid next to Tori and held her in her arms. Tori draped an arm over her hip. They were both coated in sweat but happily worn out. Jade hadn't felt so relaxed in quite a while. Her eyes were on the verge of closing in fatigue. This feeling of utter bliss was exactly what she was looking for. It was like a natural anesthetic with no danger or side effects.

"Are you good now?" Tori teased, her smile idiotic but happy. Jade grinned, in a daze, but nodded.

"Yeah, thank you. I needed that," she replied. Tori chuckled, her hand starting to run up and down over Jade's side.

"No problem. It was my pleasure," Tori mumbled with her smile still persisting. She yawned, triggering a yawn from Jade. She curled against Tori who shifted to pull the blankets over them. Seconds later they were knocked out, deep in sleep. They didn't wake up until three hours passed. They each went about waking up and getting ready for the day. Tori sat Jade down to clean and redress her arm. After getting dressed they fell back into bed, holding each other. Tori laid on Jade's chest, her body half on her and half off. Her left leg hooked around Jade's left leg. Jade drew patterns across Tori's back while she did the same on Jade's side. Tori closed her eyes and listened to her girl's beating heart. Her steady breaths matched her own.

"What had you so wound up?" Tori finally asked.

"It wasn't enough that my life had been threatened every night but then the manager had the gall to add to it," Jade answered straight out, knowing Tori would pry this time. There were no excuses or distractions to implement. She had to tell the truth.

"What? Wait until I tell my dad-" Tori began, outraged, but Jade held her down so that she couldn't get up.

"No, stop," she disagreed calmly.

"But Jade, he-" Tori started up yet Jade stopped her again. She added a finger pressed to Tori's lips.

"I know, just, listen to me, ok? Are you listening?" Jade checked, glancing at Tori's adorably pouting face. She couldn't help but smile.

"Yesh," she grumbled, her voice muffled with Jade's finger still held to her lips. Jade moved it and replaced it with a sweet kiss.

"I have two more nights to add to the evidence I already have. I'll need your dad and mine when the time comes to bring that place down, but not right now," she explained, knowing the combined force of a cop and a lawyer was sure to guarantee them victory. Tori sighed but nodded her agreement. Jade smiled adoringly and brushed Tori's hair back. The affectionate gesture did its job of bringing a smile to Tori's face.

"Ok?" Jade checked once more to be sure Tori wouldn't dispute her decision again.

"Ok," Tori replied.

"Good. Now that that's settled, can we eat? 'Cause I'm major hungry and no longer next level tired. I could really go for some of your cooking," Jade stated, smiling when Tori looked at her with a raised brow and narrowed eyes.

"Are you purposely complimenting me?" she asked. Jade grinned.

"Maybe," she replied.

"Jade," Tori scolded playfully.

"Well you did do a pretty good job earlier. It wouldn't hurt to point out more great things about you now would it?" Jade told her. Tori rolled her eyes.

"You are so trying to butter me up for your own gain," Tori said, laughing. Jade pulled her into a hug and buried her face in Tori's neck.

"I'm not trying, I am. Now make me food, I'm starving," Jade muttered.

"What do you say?" Tori responded, waiting for the answer.

"Oh, alright. I'll ask nicely 'cause I love you. Will you  _please_ make something to eat?" Jade amended. Tori kissed her softly.

"Of course," she replied. They separated and went downstairs. It looked like they had the house to themselves. Tori cooked them a hearty meal and then afterwards they lazed on the couch watching TV. Jade fell asleep again, her head resting on Tori's lap. Tori stopped watching the screen to idly trace Jade's features. She brushed at the barely fading bruise at her eye then followed the bridge of her nose down to her lips. Her finger had just graced her strong jaw when the door opened and Trina sauntered in.

"Oh, bad time?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows and nodding at Jade.

"Actually, no. She's asleep right now," Tori replied. Trina walked over carrying all her shopping bags.

"Hard day at work?" Trina guessed, heading for the stairs now.

"Yeah," Tori said with a nod.

"As much as I don't get along with Jade I'm glad she has you," Trina said, stopping at the piano landing to look back at Tori.

"Aww, thanks Trina," she replied.

"I mean, having you around makes her less of a gank and makes the rest of our lives easier," the older Vega continued. Tori frowned.

"I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not," she said. Trina shrugged and climbed the stairs.

"That's how I see it. However you wanna take that is up to you," Trina yelled from the top of the stairs. She disappeared upstairs and Jade groaned.

"What's with the yelling?" she complained while she tried to find a comfortable position to go back to sleep.

"Just Trina," Tori told her.

"Figures," Jade grumbled. Tori giggled.

"What time is it?" Jade questioned.

"Barely one," Tori answered, checking the time on the TV. Jade groaned and sat up to stretch.

"I'm going back to sleep. Wake me up in three hours," she requested. Tori nodded and Jade got up to go upstairs but she paused. She looked at Tori who was scanning for something to watch. She walked back and leaned over the couch so that she was also leaning over Tori's shoulder.

"You need something?" Tori asked, turning her head so that she could look at Jade.

"Just wanted to tell you that I love you and thank you for just being you," Jade replied, kissing her on the cheek. Tori smiled.

"Anything for you. I love you. Get some sleep," she replied. Jade's small smile pulled at her lips in a cute way that made Tori smile even more. She watched Jade climb the stairs before going back to the TV. Nothing was on. Her mind began to wander until she was pondering what she could do to make Jade's nights easier. An idea came to her and she quickly jumped up from her seat. She turned off the TV, quietly got dressed upstairs, and then ran back downstairs with her shoes in hand. She was pretty sure Jade wouldn't agree with this, which was why she wasn't going to bring it up to her before doing it. She would tell her after. Jade did so much for her in the past there had to be something more she could do. Now that she was ready she asked to borrow Trina's car. After a little persuasion and her sister warned her not to crash it she was on the road. She didn't have much time but she would make the most of it.


	7. Chapter 7

For the first time in what felt like a very long while Jade had a good sleep without any extra help. She had no dreams, bad or good, which was a good thing because having no dreams at all was the next best thing to having good dreams. However, she was pulled away from her rejuvenating sleep by a disturbance that wouldn't leave her alone no matter how many times she tried swatting at the nuisance. Either she kept missing or it did nothing against the menace bent on keeping her from sleep. When she finally gave up the lost cause and cracked open an eye she saw Tori reaching out to poke at her nose.

"Wake up sleepy head," she teased, pushing at her nose again. Jade successfully smacked away her hand this time and turned over.

"No," she grumbled.

"But the time's up. You said to wake you up after three hours," Tori reminded her.

"Sleeping is the body's way of telling other people to go away," Jade mumbled into the pillow. Tori laughed and shook her by the shoulder.

"Aw, come on grumpy pants. I want to go out with you before you have to go," Tori persisted. Jade remained motionless. Tori sighed and leaned over Jade to pull her on her back. Now she was looking down at her.

"Ugh, fine," Jade groaned. Tori cheered silently with a fist pump. Jade shook her head at her behavior. She stretched out with her arms up and then folded them behind her head.

"So, what did you do to stay occupied without me around to help?" Jade joked, smiling. Tori's own smile seemed to falter but she was quick to cover it. Not quick enough for Jade though. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Tori," she intoned, her voice revealing her suspicion. Tori's eyes shifted nervously until she had to look away entirely.

"What?" she replied, trying at acting innocent. Jade knew better.

"What did you do?" she interrogated.

"Nothing. I sat and watched TV. Actually, I feel kinda bad for eating all those crackers you like so much but I can go get you more..." Tori rambled, moving to get off the bed but Jade stopped her, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her back on the bed. Tori fell on her back and now Jade was leaning over her. Her vivid, piercing, gaze pinned her in place.

"There's something you aren't telling me," Jade said, searching her like she would find the answer by mind reading alone. Tori bit her lip, a sure sign of uncertainty.

"I, uh, I may have…" Tori began but stopped herself from saying more. Jade tempered her stare to make it slightly more intense and Tori gave in under the intensity.

"O-ok, I may have went to speak to your manager," she confessed. Jade's eyes widened before flames practically burst in them like they did in a cartoon.

"You what?!" she growled. Tori cringed.

"Let me explain-" she tried to say but Jade wasn't having it. She scrambled out of bed to stand and pace.

"Didn't I tell you not to get involved? How many times do I have to say it?" Jade bit back, her voice sharp.

"Yes, but Jade, I met-" Tori began again only for Jade to cut her off again.

"Don't tell me you actually talked to that man," Jade snarled, advancing on her. Tori stood her ground, knowing that when it came to her Jade was all bark and no bite.

"No! Listen to me!" Tori shouted, stomping her foot. Jade's posture was rigid, like a wolf with its hackles raised, but she listened regardless. Tori waited a few seconds to make sure she would stay quiet before continuing.

"Originally I did go to talk to your manager," Tori began again. Jade opened her mouth, glare fierce, but Tori held up a hand. Jade exhaled forcefully but nothing more.

"I was stopped from even entering the building by a familiar face. He said he was a friend of yours," she went on. Jade's anger faded enough to show curiosity. She couldn't say she had a friend there, just allies who stuck together out of survival, but then she knew who Tori was talking about.

"Preston?" she guessed. Tori nodded.

"What did he say?" Jade asked, her voice evening out.

"Oh, now you wanna hear what I have to say," Tori responded with a roll of her eyes and crossed arms. Her snark was almost as bad as Jade's at the moment. She was impressed.

"Tori, please," Jade said, lowering her voice even more to come out soft. Tori huffed out a breath but complied.

"He told me it wasn't safe to go in there and mentioned how you wouldn't want me anywhere near the place," Tori began to explain. Jade nodded, relieved that he stopped her. She would have to thank him if she ever saw him again. She was glad to hear he was ok in the first place.

"I recognized him from that first day and he must have remembered me too. He introduced himself and explained that something shifty was definitely happening. He was fired for being a little too nosy while also spreading what he knew. He angered the manager, was knocked around, threatened, and he was smart enough not to retaliate. He made him believe he was too scared to tell but in reality he was planning to use that against him as well as the other things he found out that had been hidden behind the scenes," Tori explained.

"What did he find out?" Jade questioned.

"I didn't get to hear it all because we were interrupted but he had heard someone died there recently but it was well hidden. Also, that the manager tampered with the animatronics. He claimed he was fixing them but Preston was sure he was somehow making them more aggressive," Tori shared. Jade's eyebrows pulled down in thought.

"Anything else?" she asked. Tori shook her head.

"That was when one of the employees walked out to get something from their car and he rushed to hide. He didn't want the manager knowing that he was still hanging around. He would instantly put it together that he was spying and Preston didn't want to get caught. I could understand why he wouldn't. Your manager sounds dangerous. With all this he should be put away for good," Tori told her.

"He should, but he's obviously keeping everyone in line with fear tactics. Those sheep won't speak up and he knows it. That's why he got rid of those who questioned him," Jade responded. Tori suddenly gasped and gripped Jade's hand in hers.

"Jade, you have to quit. If he figures out what you're doing he might do something worse than fire you. Look, Preston got off easy, but what if you don't?" Tori pointed out, beginning to panic.

"Yes, I know, but he won't figure it out. I haven't done anything to alert him," Jade replied.

"Besides befriending Preston. He could still be watching you for any deviation just because of that," Tori argued. Jade sighed and rubbed at her forehead where she felt like a headache was starting. She shook her head then squeezed Tori's hands.

"Trust me," Jade told her.

"I do trust you. It's your manager I don't trust," Tori replied. Jade had to agree with that. She shrugged and then nodded.

"Ok, you have me there, but since you trust me then that's all that should matter," she countered, hoping Tori would just back down. Tori stared at her and Jade could see her trying to decide. Eventually she sighed and looked away.

"Why do I keep letting you do this?" she wondered aloud. Jade smirked and moved closer so that she could rest her forehead on Tori's.

"Because you love me and trust that I'm right, because of course, I'm always right," she teased. Tori closed her eyes and smiled then leaned away.

"Sure," she scoffed, aiming for playful but falling short. Jade's smirk faded a little.

"Let's go out. It'll get our minds off all this," Jade suggested.

"For now," Tori replied. Jade nodded.

"Yeah, for now," she agreed. They went out to eat and then walked around while sharing small talk. They fought to keep things light and just enjoy the time out but in the back of their minds they both knew what the other was still thinking about. When it was time for the night to end Tori was reluctant as ever to allow Jade to leave. Jade dropped her off and they parted ways. Going into work that night she was granted a bit of luck. She saw that the manager had taken aside one of the employees into the backstage room. She looked like she was about to burst into tears. Jade glanced around to see everyone else too busy with thoughts of heading home; all but Hazel who was wringing her hands and looking to where the manager took the employee. She met Jade's eyes before looking away. Jade slid out her phone and prepared the video recorder. She stepped lightly and then peered through the crack of the door, her phone held at an angle that showed the manager's back and the girl half blocked by him, facing the door. She looked up at him with fear.

"Now we both know that's against company policy, don't we?" he told her. She nodded quickly.

"I know, and I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I swear," she pleaded. He stepped toward her and she jumped back but he grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her towards him.

"It better not or you may just end up giving our new night guard a day off," he sneered. Instantly the girl panicked.

"N-no, please, I won't s-spread anymore rumors!" she stammered, her face paling. He released her and she stumbled back to bump into a shelf lines with spare animatronic heads.

"Good," he responded, his tone of voice void of any malicious intent. He straightened up and gestured to the door.

"You're free to go now," he told her. Jade hit the end button and quickly moved aside, power walking far from the room. The girl bolted out seconds later, striding right for the entrance and out the door. Jade watched her go while pocketing her phone then glanced over at the manager. He walked out of the room and turned to look back at her. He smiled casually then headed her way. She was immediately on guard, her gaze distrustful.

"I trust we're clear on what we can and can't do while employed here," he remarked. For a second Jade thought he had caught her, but as she scanned his face she realized he was just trying to keep her in line. Intimidation again. It wouldn't work, but for now, she was willing to pretend it did.

"Yes," she answered, making sure to avert her eyes as if his presence made her submit. She gave him what he wanted and he was none the wiser of her intentions.

"Glad to hear. I wouldn't want to have to fire a good worker like you. You must be the best night guard we've ever had," he commented. Jade figured that must mean that she was the only one who lived and/or didn't go crazy.

"Cool," she mumbled, her eyes flicking to him then away again.

"Then I'll leave you to it," he said, walking away. She went to the office, picked up the tablet, and sat down.

"Here I am once again," she muttered, chuckling darkly to herself at her unintentional joke. The lights turned off around her, leaving her sheltered under the only source of light available besides the optional hall lights. She swiftly got to work. Her movements were fluid, her eyesight sharp, her hearing keen. There were multiple ways to assess the situation with many audible clues when she wasn't able to use a visual one. As the night wore on she realized that no matter how often she checked on Foxy he still attacked, making two encounters with the door so far. It made Jade nervous, because on top of that, both Chica and Bonnie were far more aggressive than they ever were before. Bonnie kept coming around a lot and Chica lingered at the window longer. Her power was draining fast, obvious by the way the bulb above began to flicker. With the light flickering more often her mind became more scattered under the pressure, triggering hallucinations that she was quick to shake off before they became a distraction. Through it all she managed to keep Freddy on the stage but the fight came to a halt the second the power finally gave out.

"Shit, shit, shit," she hissed, her heart beginning to speed up once more. What time was it? How long did she have left? Would she survive until then? So many questions and no answers. Her luck seemed to completely run out when the tablet in her hands died out too. It must not have been charged all the way. Swears fell from her mouth but it did nothing to alleviate the fear gripping at her. She set the useless device down and sat in complete silence, drowning in what seemed like pitch black darkness but was more dimly-lit than totally dark. Still, she felt blind, out of touch, already dead to the world. That was when she heard the footsteps. Her body went rigid and the lack of sight must have enhanced her hearing because she had nothing else to do besides listen to the footsteps draw nearer. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped and in their place was the lit up face of Freddy Fazbear in the left doorway. His eyes were on her and his jingle seemed to echo around her. Several seconds passed without movement from either of them.

It was like a stand-off, a test of will. Freddy's face flickered and then turned off, taking the rest of the light with him. Now it was pitch black, although Jade thought that may have just been her feeling like it had. The situation was bleak enough. Freddy's tune went out along with it and everything stilled for a moment. All Jade could hear was her ragged breaths. Then the footsteps started again. He was approaching her. She leaned ever so slowly down toward her boot, trying to get to her scissors, but then Freddy was there. His eyes were bright, his jaws open, and that horrible screech pierced her ears. She flinched and it was just enough to allow him time to grab her. She was yanked from the chair but she fought back, prying at his fingers in an attempt to get free. He just continued to drag her out of the office. She screamed and fought harder, kicking out at his leg. He stumbled and she pulled free but he lunged. In order to dodge she threw herself to the side so quickly she lost her balance and hit the floor.

He was undeterred and grabbed her by the ankle to keep dragging her down the west hall. She twisted around and kicked at his hand until a particularly useful kick using her heel forced his grip to loosen. She pulled free and scrambled to her feet only to crash into Bonnie who screeched and tried to attack. Disoriented she stumbled back into Freddy, bouncing off his wide body and colliding with the wall. The posters fell around her and Freddy took advantage to wrap his unforgiving fingers around her throat. She choked on air and grabbed at his hand but he held tight, lifting her off the ground. She tried to kick at him but she couldn't quite reach so she hung there, wishing for six to roll around, but it didn't. He kept walking down the hall until they came out into the dining area. He dropped his arm to drag her across the floor. His hand seemed to tighten on her, forcing her to gasp laboriously on her quickly escaping air.

At this rate her neck would be crushed before she was even disposed of. In a last ditch attempt to fight back she tried to dig her heels in the ground but they just skid along, doing nothing. She was beginning to lose consciousness and the dim light of the morning sun didn't register in her oxygen deprived brain. Her vision became spotty and her body went slack. Her fingers lost their grip on Freddy's arm to fall at her sides. She vaguely felt herself being lifted up again but then she was painfully dropped on the floor. Her shoulder hit first in a way that saved her head from cracking against the tile. She heard what sounded like footsteps but she wasn't sure. She could breathe again but each intake hurt and burned her throat. She let her eyes close and then she was unconscious. When she woke up the world seemed to be doubled until it slowly came into focus. Hazel sat crouched over her.

"Can you hear me?" she questioned. Jade nodded sluggishly. A chill ran through her and she became aware of a cold rag at her neck. She lifted a shaky hand to remove it but Hazel stopped her, gripping Jade's hand in her own and bringing it back down to rest on the cold tile under her.

"Your neck is bruised. I-I'm not sure if there's any internal damage b-but I figured icing the swelling would help," she stuttered, tucking a strand of hair back that had fallen from her ponytail. Jade closed her eyes and concentrated on her throat. She swallowed, testing the sting of pain. It wasn't that bad. Next she cleared it and the action made her wince but that was all. There was one more test left.

"Thanks," she responded, her scratchy, abused, voice cracking with use.

"Careful, talking could make it worse," Hazel cautioned. Jade shook her head and lifted a hand.

"Help me up," she rasped, refusing to stay down a second more. Hazel looked unsure but took her by the hand and helped her onto her feet anyway. Once Jade was standing she swayed a little but found her bearings pretty quickly. She looked around, a hand holding the cold rag to her throat. It eliminated some of the pain of moving her head but not by much. She had been taken as far as the doorway to the backstage room.

"Let's get you out of here," Hazel urged, hooking her arm with her own and leading her out. She got Jade to her car with her guidance finding it and deposited Jade in the passenger seat. She buckled her up then got in the driver's seat. Hazel looked to her and held out her hand palm up to receive the keys.

"No one drives my car besides me or my girlfriend," Jade forced out, declining.

"If you want to make it home you'll give me the keys," she responded, stern. Jade scowled but handed them over. Hazel started up the car and left the parking lot.

"Aren't you afraid of pissing off our benevolent manager?" Jade questioned sardonically. There was no humor in her tone; only bitter resentment. Hazel made a sound of dismissal.

"I've spent too long cowering from him. This isn't right. He needs to be stopped. I don't know what his deal is, but what I do know is that you're a key factor of stopping him. I just know it. Which means I have to make sure you're in good enough shape to keep going," she responded. Jade laughed, short and clipped with pain.

"Fine, then I guess I should show you the way," she accepted. Hazel nodded. Jade gave her directions in her weakened and quiet voice. Hazel listened intently and drove where she was directed. She pulled up outside Jade's house, helped her out of the car, into the house, and then returned her keys after sitting her down on the couch. She wrung out the rag and ran it under cold water in the kitchen where Jade directed her. She then gave it back to Jade to place on her heavily bruised neck.

"Is there anything else I can do?" she questioned. Jade shook her head.

"You've done enough. Thank you," she replied, coughing a little from the strain. She fought with her pocket to get her phone out. She made a call to Tori, asking her to come over. Tori instantly noticed her uneven speech and started firing off questions but Jade talked her down and repeated her message. Tori eventually listened and told her she would be right over. Jade hung up and pocketed her phone.

"I could stick around until she gets here," Hazel offered, having heard the whole conversation. Jade had to set it on speaker because even the slight tilt of her head and pressure of the phone against her face did nothing but make her ache even more.

"I would decline but there really isn't any other way you can leave so when Tori gets here she can drive you back," Jade replied, swallowing in an attempt to ease her discomfort.

"Thanks. Here, let me wet the rag again and get you some water," Hazel responded. She collected the rag and strode out of the room. She returned to replace the rag then she was off again to get a cup of water. That was when Tori barged into the house. She rushed over to sit carefully next to Jade, worry in her eyes.

"Stupid thing almost choked me to death," Jade joked humorlessly. Tori's face fell further when she lifted up the end of the rag to see the discolored skin that it hid.

"You sound horrible," she commented.

"I feel horrible, but it's getting easier to talk so at least the damage isn't too bad…or, at least I think it isn't," Jade replied.

"Dammit Jade," Tori swore, smacking her leg. Jade frowned at the attack but didn't move away. She deserved it for putting them both through this, but she couldn't give up, not yet.

"I'll get over it," Jade muttered, trying to dismiss it as less than it was.

"Sure you will, and then you'll go right back only to return with another injury, or worse," Tori commented, tone bitter. Jade couldn't disagree with that. The sound of the microwave going off made Tori's brows come together. She looked at Jade, ready to ask her if she left something in the microwave, when she heard someone moving around in the kitchen. She got up but Jade pulled her back down, the strength in her arm still effective even though she was completely reclined on the couch, her head resting on the back of it.

"It's just Hazel," Jade told her.

"Hazel?" Tori responded, the name falling off her tongue dripping with distrust. Jade nodded slowly.

"She got me home. Could you drive her back?" Jade requested. Tori sighed but nodded. At that moment Hazel herself walked in. She skid to an abrupt stop when she saw Tori.

"Hey, thanks for bringing her home," Tori greeted her with an appreciative smile. When Hazel was sure she wasn't about to be chewed out by a potentially jealous girlfriend she smiled in return and kept walking.

"No problem," she replied, setting a warm mug of tea on the coffee table.

"I was going to get water but then I saw that you had tea and figured that and some honey would do wonders so I made that instead," she explained.

"Thanks again," Jade responded. Hazel nodded and looked away. Tori's eyes flicked from her to Jade and back again before getting up.

"As much as I'd hate to take you back to that place I don't want you getting into trouble by ditching work. I'll give you a lift," she said. Jade held out her keys for Tori to take while Hazel stuttered through declining the offer. Tori dismissed anything she had to say with a shake of her head.

"You got Jade home, and for that I'm thankful. The least I could do is get you back to your own car. Whether you return to work or not is up to you," Tori told her. Hazel nodded.

"Ok, thank you," she replied. They turned to leave but Jade called her back.

"Hazel?" she began.

"Yeah?" she responded, turning to face her.

"When you get over there, get in your car, and leave while you still can," Jade advised, her expression serious. Her fellow employee hesitated but nodded.

"Ok," she answered. Tori exchanged one last look with Jade then led the way out the door. Jade spent the time that Tori was gone in silence. Occasionally she would sip at the mug of tea but mostly she would lay still on the couch. When she finished the drink she got up to assess the damage in the bathroom mirror. The bruise was shaped like the thick fingers of the animatronic that gave her the injury. It looked worse than it felt. The tea had helped a lot. She wrung out the rag and hung it up then went back to the living room where she laid out on the couch. All she could do now was wait for Tori. She fell asleep waiting but woke to the gentle caress of Tori's slender fingers running through her hair. She smiled and took Tori by the hand to kiss her knuckles. She flipped her hand over to kiss her palm next.

"Hey," she finally greeted, smiling when Tori smiled down at her.

"Hey to you too. You mind scooting over so I can join you?" Tori responded. Jade did so while Tori kicked off her shoes. She laid down next to Jade and wrapped her in her arms. She was now pressed all down Jade's side but she was careful of every area that required careful contact.

"Go back to sleep Jade," Tori whispered soothingly. Jade hummed her agreement and closed her eyes, feeling much more secure with Tori next to her. She fell asleep easily in no time at all. It was hours later when she slowly started to return to reality. It didn't take her long to notice Tori's absence. She sat up, looked around, and spotted a note on the coffee table next to her empty mug. It was from Tori explaining that she was called home. Something about Trina needing her opinion and demanding that she come home. Jade rolled her eyes and was about to toss the scrap of paper when she happened to glance at it one more time. The penmanship was sloppy, something not associated with Tori's bubbly and neat writing.

It was almost like she was rushed. Was Trina being that overbearing? The writing was so hurried some of the letters looked a little wobbly. Something nagged at the back of her head so she decided to head over to Tori's house and check on her just for her peace of mind. She got ready to go, which took longer because she had to conceal the bruise at her neck, and then drove over. As she drove she began to question the note. Why hadn't Tori left her a text like she usually did in these situations? Why a note? It wasn't like Tori to do that. She pulled up at the Vega household and got out. She let herself in to see Trina lounging on the couch. That wasn't new but it was out of place considering the situation.

"Hey, where's Tori?" Jade demanded, skipping all pretense of a greeting. Trina scowled at her.

"How should I know? She didn't come home so I assumed she was with you," she replied. Jade fought to keep the shock off her face as to not raise any alarms.

"Well she's not. Did you happen to hear if she had made plans to hang out?" Jade questioned next.

"And not tell you, let alone leave you behind?" Trina pointed out. Jade swore under her breath. She was starting to get a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach but forced it down to remain calm.

"She could have her reasons," Jade remarked. Trina scoffed and raised a brow at her.

"She's head over heels about you. She practically takes you everywhere like a coveted pair of limited edition Fazzini boots. Do you really think she would leave you behind?" Trina replied. No, she wouldn't, but Jade didn't say that. Instead she made a show of looking frustrated and stomped out the door. As soon as she was outside she rushed to her car. Maybe she was overreacting but she had to make sure.

"Please don't be where I think you are Tor," she mumbled, her stomach twisting uncomfortably. She picked up her phone and called Tori's phone. The sound of her ringer went off somewhere inside her car. With a bit of searching she found it under the passenger seat.

"Shit, she left her phone here," she cursed, tossing it on top of the seat. She quickly started the car and drove off as fast as she could without getting the attention of the police for speeding. Her destination; Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.


	8. Chapter 8

Jade pulled into her parking spot and almost jumped out of the car before turning it off. She was in a rush and couldn't be bothered with it. She sprinted across the parking lot while keeping an eye out for Trina's car just in case. But hadn't she seen Trina's car parked at their house? She must have been dropped off by Trina at her house, used Jade's car to take Hazel, came back, and was now gone all without transportation, leaving nothing but a note behind? That didn't seem right at all. Jade cursed under her breath. That meant that Tori wasn't missing out of her own free will. Something had happened to her.

The thought alone made Jade sick with dread. Never had she felt more scared than now with Tori in danger. She barged into the pizzeria flustered but set on her course of action. She had to find the manager and demand answers even if she had to get violent. No one threatened Tori and got away with it. She marched through every area of the building looking for the manager, leaving the office for last. She had a feeling that's where he would be, waiting for her. She was right in her speculation. She stopped in the doorway after stomping down the east hall. He sat there, leaning back in the chair, his feet up on the desk. He smiled when he saw her.

"You're awfully early," he commented. Jade scowled at him.

"Don't fuck with me. What did you do with her?" Jade demanded, her voice a terse low growl. He let his feet fall to the ground heavily and then he stood, towering over her.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. Are you feeling alright? Maybe you've been working too hard," he responded, his own voice calm and even.

"An innocent mask doesn't fit on you. I'm not fooled," she responded. His smile pulled into one that was a bit more sinister.

"You seem to forget who orders who," he told her, taking a step forward.

"You don't scare me," she snarled, her posture like a cornered animal.

"I know, but  **they**  do, and harm coming to those you love certainly does the trick," he remarked tauntingly. Something in Jade snapped in that moment. She lunged at him, landing a blow to his stomach then his face. He caught her next swing and backhanded her sharply, dazing her. He quickly pinned her arms to her sides from behind and covered her mouth with a cloth. Jade inhaled once and held her breath, knowing that if she breathed in she was done for.

"Now, now, don't be difficult," he sneered in her ear. He pressed harder over her nose and mouth then slammed her into the desk in front of her. The force winded her and made her involuntarily suck in a breath. She squirmed in his hold but she already began to fall under. Everything rapidly went dark and she passed out. When she groggily came to she was sitting in the office. She groaned and glanced around to see it was dark except for the overhead bulb. Had she fallen asleep during her shift or something? Was it all a dream? She tried to get up and found that she was stuck. She looked down to see she was tied to the chair around her middle. It wasn't a dream. Her arms were free to move so the first thing she did was try out the lights and doors. They worked, but what was she doing here?

" _It was nice of you to come into work early. I took the liberty of giving you time to rest before your shift. You've been damaging property so I took measures to keep you in your seat. I hope that isn't too hard of a rule to follow. Best of luck tonight. You'll need it. I won't be seeing you again."_

The manager's voice ended with a chuckle and Jade grit her teeth. Her fingers tried finding a weakness in the binding. She was stuck in place, a sitting duck. She had no choice but to play along at this point so she picked up the tablet and checked the camera feeds. She worked at the knots she found in the rope while she checked. No one was in place and the stage was darkened so she shut both doors until she could figure out where they all were. Foxy banged on the door and when he left she checked the lights for Bonnie and Chica respectively. They weren't there. She tried using the tactics she had the last night but the animatronics were worse now and far more insistent. That and she was juggling getting herself free at the same time. With Foxy attacking again and Bonnie plus Chica added in the mix it didn't surprise her when Freddy eventually got close enough to stand in the east hall corner. He never hung around the blind spot so Jade knew he was a step away from getting in. She moved to shut the right door then looked at pirate cove, relieved to see that Foxy was still there. She checked the lights next. Chica wasn't there but Bonnie was. She attempted to close the door on him but she was too late, he already jammed them, and she was still stuck to the chair by a few coils of rope, helpless.

In fear and haste she kicked back to scoot the chair away from him but also managed to hit the button that opened the right door in the process. Bonnie grabbed her and Freddy came in to tear the rest of the rope free in his attempt to get her. Jade kicked at Bonnie enough that he dropped her. She threw herself into a roll past him toward the east hall and stopped in a crouching position where she palmed her scissors from her boot. She lashed out at Chica who ran at her first. She cut her across the stomach then jabbed them in Freddy's eye when he advanced. She lost her grip on it when he reared back, sparks flying. She pushed past them both, through the office, and out into the west hall. Bonnie had gone around the back-up caused by Freddy and Chica to get to her but stopped in the dining area when she came skidding in. A violent twitch made his jaws snap and then he was running at her. She heard scrabbling metal behind her and turned to see Foxy emerge. She threw herself to the side and he missed her when he lunged, crashing into Bonnie. They were too tangled at the moment to get up so Jade ran for the exit. She stopped in her tracks, too stunned to move, when the light on the stage suddenly came on. That wasn't what stopped her though. What really stopped her was what was on the stage.

"No," she gasped, her heart squeezing painfully in her chest. Tori was tied to a chair with her hands held behind her. Jade's lack of movement shifted into high gear when Freddy returned to grab at her. She ducked under his arms and ran to the stage which she leaped onto. Now that she was closer she noticed that Tori was unconscious and a bruise discolored her tan cheek. The thought of that lunatic laying a hand on her made Jade's blood boil but she forced herself to stay focused. She crouched down and untied her then patted at her cheek.

"Tori, you need to wake up. Tori!" she called, shaking her by the shoulders now. Tori groaned and her eyelids fluttered open. Hope rose in Jade when recognition appeared in Tori's dazed brown eyes. She smiled in relief.

"Jade, you found me," she said, grinning.

"Of course I did," Jade replied, resting a hand on her face. Tori's smile fell to be replaced by an expression of terror.

"Look out!" she warned, eyes on something over Jade's shoulder. She spun around but Bonnie already yanked her back by her shoulder. She fell back to hit the tile below where Freddy picked her up by the neck once more. She snarled down at him, his ruined face still run through with her scissors, facing her. She reached for them and tore them loose to strike at his arm over and over again. She must have hit some mechanical form of a nerve because he dropped her at the doorway to the backstage room. She pushed off the floor to escape but he snagged her again with his other hand. This time she was too far from her scissors which were lodged in his opposite arm. She had nothing to arm herself with. A scream from Tori made her grip the doorway in an attempt to refuse entry.

"Jade!" Tori yelped, panicked.

"Tori!" Jade screamed back, desperate to get to her. Freddy yanked on her and her grip slipped. A muscle in her left arm stung from the force. He shoved her into the room where she hit the table laden with spare parts. She scrambled for a head and chucked it at him but he knocked it away and gripped her by the back of her shirt. He pushed her forward towards a spare Freddy animatronic suit hunched over on the floor. The back was open and Jade's stomach gave an uncomfortable churn at the realization that she was about to be stuffed inside. She threw herself back against Freddy but he just shoved her at it. She hit the suit hard, cutting open the palm of her left hand on an edge of metal when she tried to catch herself from falling face first. She hissed at the twinge of pain but it was quickly built upon when Freddy's strong arm came down on her back and began to push. Her right hand splayed out against the shoulder of the deactivated animatronic to try and push back, but it was no use. Her left arm slipped and was stuck under her, pinned to her side.

Rods, wires, and beams pressed into her skin, a stray rod that stuck out at an odd angle began to dig into her side. Freddy made a strange sound and pushed harder. Her legs and arm shook under the force but held. She only hoped they prolonged her time until she was saved. Freddy's hand adjusted to push at the middle of her back while he got the other moving enough to push at the back of her head. The newly applied force crippled her attempts enough that her jaw hit the edge of something jutting out, splitting skin and jarring bone. Her teeth clenched tightly followed by a pained cry when the rest of her left side forcefully made contact with the inside of the suit. Odds and ends along with sharp points struck all down her side from shoulder to hip. She was lucky enough that her arm provided a form of shield for her more vulnerable side. Only the rod that had been poking her earlier now pierced her skin, sinking in and poking out the other side. A particularly rough shove brought tears to her eyes which fell soon after at the sensation of her arm beginning to give in.

The various metals shred flesh and bent bone slowly, torturously, until Jade was sobbing at the pain and begging for it to end. Yet she still held on as much as she could, pushing back with her other arm and her legs. Her neck strained to keep her face away and was a little easier to do since that arm wasn't nearly as strong anymore. Jade screamed in agony when he shoved again. She could feel every tear in her skin, every crack of bone, the flow of warm blood dripping into the suit and painting her torn body. She was starting to loose strength now. It was getting too hard to fight. Her trembling form began molding into the suit and she was just about to fail altogether when a mighty war cry echoed around the room. It was followed by Freddy getting violently thrown to the side. He hit the wall and slid down, his jaw hanging loose. Tori was revealed wielding what looked like a spare endoskeleton arm. She rammed the end into Freddy's head, smashing his face in.

"Tor…" Jade choked out, allowing her body to relax against the suit she was practically melded against at the moment. After Tori had been left on the stage and Jade was dragged away she ran to get her back when Chica tried to catch her. She broke a chair on her to get away and ended up running around dodging Bonnie and Foxy until Preston arrived. He knew she would be targeted and used against Jade. It was only a matter of time, so, he waited for the right moment to step in. He took one look at Tori barely staying a step ahead and ran in with his metal bat. He bashed in Chica's legs, beheaded Foxy with a well-aimed swing, and crushed the whole top half of Bonnie's head. He had always hated the purple bunny the most. With the animatronics in pieces Tori rushed to rescue Jade.

When she found her she grabbed the nearest weapon, a spare endoskeleton arm, and let loose on Freddy. Now he lay twitching and sparking against the wall. When she was sure he wouldn't be getting up she ran to Jade. Her breathing was shallow and her eyes were unfocused. Tori carefully peeled her from the suit, tears welling in her eyes when Jade cried out and more blood spilled. Tori's hands were coated in red, slick with Jade's blood the second she realized she had to remove the rod impaling Jade's side. Once she was separated from the suit Tori held her close and dragged her out of the room. Jade was a mess; too much of a dead weight to carry on her own. Preston ran over to help as soon as he saw her struggling.

"Oh god," he murmured when he laid eyes on Jade's mauled form. Tori fell to her knees crying, gripping at Jade's bloody shirt.

"Geez, ok, um, you get her legs and I'll get her upper half. Let's get her to her car and drive to the hospital," he ordered. Tori nodded. She couldn't lose it now. Jade needed her. She used her upper arm to clear her vision of tears and then hauled Jade off the floor with Preston's help. Jade whimpered and her brows came together. Her sliced up left hand twitched with the jostling movement. Tori quickly looked away, keeping her eyes on the doors leading outside. They set Jade in the back seat where she finally blacked out. Preston drove because Tori was too rattled and he knew the area better. When they got there Jade went straight into the emergency room where the paramedics quickly went to work saving her, leaving Tori cold and bare in their wake. She stood rooted to the spot, tears drying on her face and blood drying on her hands. Preston stood next to her, a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, we got her here in time," he told her, trying his best to comfort her. She bit her lip and more tears fell but she brushed them away.

"T-thank you, but, I, um, I have to start making calls to her parents and letting mine know I'm ok. Could you excuse me for a moment?" she asked him. He nodded and wandered away to lean against Jade's car, giving her space. While they drove Tori remembered that she had dropped her phone in Jade's car when she dropped Hazel off. If she knew Jade, and she did, then her phone would be put in the glove compartment. She found it there along with a notebook Preston recognized. He said he gave it to Jade a while back which made Tori realize that he had been a great ally from the beginning. She cleared her thoughts so that she could speak with as steady a voice as she could. She called her parents first and explained that Jade had been in an accident. She didn't elaborate and just told them where she was and that she was safe but staying with Jade until she heard of any news. She called Jade's parents next, telling them that Jade had been in an accident. They might not have been around as much as Jade wanted them to be but they still cared about their daughter and promised to be there as soon as possible.

Tori gave them the name of the hospital, hung up, and pocketed her phone. She bowed her head and finally allowed a sob to fall from her lips. Preston heard her crying and walked over to offer a hug which she took. Her emotions hit her like waves, changing and flowing. An hour later both her parents and Jade's parents arrived. An hour after that the gang showed up. Everyone waited it out, listening for any news as they talked amongst each other. They were all trying to make sense of the ordeal and understand what Tori and Preston were telling them. By the end of it all both fathers were angry and looking to bring the law down hard on the pizzeria as well as the manager running it. They were gone soon after, looking to get in contact with connections and begin a case. The rest stayed where they were, hoping for more news. Tori sat between Andre and Preston. Andre was talking to Beck on his other side so she turned to Preston. He was sitting at the edge of his seat, his thumbs fiddling and face lined with worry.

"Why didn't I try harder to send her away? Oh, that's right, I was stupidly looking out for only myself. I didn't want to get caught so I stayed quiet," he grumbled guiltily under his breath. Tori nudged him with a weak smile.

"You helped her in the end," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but it was almost too late. God, I'm such a coward," he replied, hiding his face in his hands. Tori shook her head.

"It's understandable. And look at it this way, you were pretty brave to spy on the manager and keep tabs on what he was doing while helping out in the best way you could, even if it was in a way that kept you safe. I couldn't very well expect you to throw yourself under the bus for someone else, let alone a stranger. You did what you could. You aren't to blame," Tori reassured him. He looked at her with a hopeful smile.

"Yeah?" he replied, still a little doubtful.

"Yep," Tori confirmed with a nod. Preston's gaze dropped to the floor and his brows furrowed.

"As soon as I knew something was up I started working against him; little things at first and then building on that. I found out all the horrible things he was doing to the employees. He had extra cameras only he could access so that no one was safe from him anywhere in the building. The parking lot must have had one. He must have seen you talking to me and had already connected you to Jade that first day you guys came in. That's how he knew to use you against her, because he couldn't make her listen by threatening her alone. I put it together pretty fast and hurried back to try and help," he explained.

"He followed me when I dropped off Hazel. He kidnapped me, forced me to leave Jade a note so that she would know exactly what happened, and then knocked me out. When I woke up I was on that stage, tied up, with Jade trying to rescue me. Instead, I was bait to keep her right where he needed her to be," Tori told him. He sighed heavily and looked back at the floor.

"He's demented," she concluded. Preston nodded.

"Why did he do all this?" she wondered. This time he shrugged.

"Why did that guy kill all those kids? Who knows," he replied, just as stumped. Tori exhaled heavily and leaned back in her chair. Suddenly, Hazel came striding into the waiting room.

"Hey, you made it," Preston greeted. Tori looked from him to Hazel and back again.

"You told her?" she questioned.

"Uh, y-yeah. Sorry if you didn't want-" he began but Tori cut him off by standing and hugging Hazel who was a bit caught off guard.

"Thank you for the support, both of you," she told them, releasing Hazel to look back at Preston. They all shared a smile. Tori was touched that they cared.

"Hey, what's with all the hugging? Care to introduce us?" Andre spoke up, bringing their attention to him. Tori chuckled and began introducing her old friends to what she hoped to be her new friends. Mrs. West and Mrs. Vega each thanked the two after being introduced also. By now it was late into the night and mostly everyone had gone home when the doctor brought news. Tori was half awake but became alert in seconds, same as the two mothers. Preston and Hazel woke up just enough to hear the news that Jade would be fine and she was allowed family visitors plus Tori who pressed enough. Preston and Hazel excused themselves, each giving Tori a hug and exchanging numbers before leaving. The three women were then escorted to Jade's room where she was moved to after the multiple surgeries she went through during the course of the night and well into the morning. Entering the room Tori only had eyes for Jade. She walked over and took a seat next to her bed then carefully reached out to hold her right hand in hers.

It was warm and reassuring. Jade's chest rose and fell as she breathed steadily. Her face looked tired even in sleep, a patch on her jaw covering the gash that had cleaved her flesh down to the bone. Tori rubbed Jade's hand soothingly and was content to just stare at her while her ears were trained on the hushed conversation between Jade's mom and the doctor. She was sure her own mom was listening in like she was. Tori knew she already saw Jade as her daughter-in-law. Tori pressed a kiss to Jade's hand and then laid her head on the bed. As it turned out, the most pressing matter they had to attend to was the loss of blood. Once that was under control the rest was a careful process of putting Jade back together, as macabre as that sounded. Jade's whole left arm had fractures scattered in various places throughout it. Her skin was heavily damaged with some small areas that would need a long time than the rest to come back together.

Luckily, her muscles weren't severely damaged to the point that they were disabled. They had some repair work but they would function. It was her nerves that suffered the most. They weren't sure if she would regain all feeling in her arm or just partial, but everyone was mostly happy she still had a fully functioning arm at all. The puncture wound in her side fortunately missed any organs and the gash that hit her jaw took nothing but a nick of bone with it. There were no cracks because of it. In all, Jade would recover, but she would be forever profoundly scarred down her arm, side, and jaw. Tori zoned out of the conversation concerning the medication Jade would need once she was allowed to go home, the paperwork, and all other information to focus back on Jade. She tapped on the back of her hand then drew a heart on her palm. She finished the imagined drawing and practically jumped out of her skin when Jade's hand flipped over to grasp hers. Tori looked up into Jade's weary eyes and couldn't help but smile when she did.

"Drawing hearts on my hand again? You cheesy dork," Jade mumbled, her voice weak but managing a light hearted quality. Tori was elated and wanted nothing more than to squeeze Jade in a hug but she held herself back. Half her upper body was still fragile so she settled for a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Damn, I missed seeing your beautiful face. I feel like I've been sleeping away years instead of hours," Jade complained, her right hand coming up to stroke at Tori's face. Tori held it there and locked eyes with Jade.

"I thought I was going to lose you from blood loss or something," Tori sniffed, tears coming to her eyes again. Her voice wavered under the sudden weight of her emotions. Jade brushed away Tori's tears and shook her head.

"You can't get rid of me that easy," she jested with a crooked smile. Tori chuckled through her tears and looked away, breaking eye contact.

"You could have died," she whispered. Jade lifted her face by her chin so that their eyes could meet again.

"You know, something that gives you a reason to live can be something that's just as good of a reason to die for," she stated, pulling Tori closer.

"For me, that reason is you," Jade continued. More tears fell from Tori's eyes and a single one rolled down Jade's pale face. She was so glad Tori was ok and that she managed to hold on for her. She smiled and then kissed Tori firmly, love permeating every caress of their lips. When they parted, smiling softly, their mothers rushed over with the doctor following. With Jade awake she could relay to the doctor how she was feeling. She also provided more of the story which was saved for when everyone else could hear it too. For now they shared small talk until Jade's medication kicked in and she was falling asleep on them. Tori kissed her on the forehead, whispered how much she loved her in her ear, and then left. She didn't want to go home and leave Jade all alone but it was necessary. Jade would be fine. The following three days were the start of a hard recovery at the hospital that spawned a song Jade made up to keep herself occupied. The few times Tori heard it, it sent a chill down her spine. It was clearly about the time Jade spent surviving the night shift.

Once the hospital deemed her ready to leave her recovery carried on to months of restoration at home. Tori was with her every step of the way. In that time the whole story had been told over and over. It spread like wild fire on the news, social media, everywhere, until everyone knew the horrid truth. Soon, Fazbear Entertainment was no more. Mr. West and Mr. Vega made sure of it. Everyone working there were pardoned and given help to find a new job. Preston and Hazel stuck around. They were good friends with Tori and Jade, having bonded under the pressure of survival. With everything that happened, including the dismantled animatronics, the building being torn down, and the industry as a whole wiped off the face of the planet, nothing was as hard to comprehend as the man behind it all. Eerily, he disappeared without a trace. Preston knew his name and shared it with the authorities but they quickly learned that it was a made up alias which meant he was still out there somewhere. It was something that picked at Jade and Tori's nerves but she tried not to think about it. Because of that, Jade moved. Her new home happened to be closer to Tori's house.

It was a welcomed bonus, especially since Jade couldn't drive temporarily. Now she could see Tori whenever. All she had to do was walk down the block. By the time their senior year was slated to start soon Jade was all healed with only minor twinges of pain if too much pressure was applied to her arm. She couldn't do any heavy lifting until the doctors gave her permission but she did do non-straining exercises so that the healing process went smoothly yet kept her arm in shape. With summer winding down, random chilly days came around every so often. Jade and Tori slowly but surely returned to what they loved doing most, spending time with each other. Jade was at Tori's house, laid out on her bed. Papers were scattered all over any available surface, including Jade. Their project was sure to blow anything else out of the water. They were sure of it. Now they just had to organize it in a way that would be easy to present. Tori set down some notes at her desk and then walked over to pick up papers lying on Jade's stomach. She made a point of skimming her toned body when she did so and watched as a smile curled Jade's lips. Jade was using a thick paper to block out the light by placing it over her eyes.

"Come on Jade. I can't do this by myself," Tori pouted, tracing over Jade's stomach. The muscles reacted subtly to her touch but otherwise Jade remained unmoving.

"I'll start after a nap," she replied, grinning when Tori let out a sound of complaint. She whined Jade's name but got no response so she set down the papers she held and climbed on the bed to straddle her waist. Jade lifted the paper on her face just enough to see Tori.

"What are you doing?" she asked, curious yet playful.

"Improvising," Tori replied, determined. She tossed the paper that had been sheltering Jade's face from the light and then leaned in so that their noses touched. Jade's smirk lit her face.

"Oh?" she mumbled, amused.

"Mhm, and I know just how to make you help me," Tori replied, certain of her plan. Jade's hands slid up Tori's thighs to grip at her hips. Tori sat back up, her own hands running down Jade's arms. Her left arm merely tingled with barely a hint of detection from the warmth Tori's touch provided. The first time they spent the night together after coming home from the hospital was the first time Tori ever saw Jade self-conscious. She didn't want to see the scars, reminders, marring what used to be smooth porcelain skin. She didn't want Tori to see them either. It took some gentle encouragement for her to see that there was nothing to be self-conscious about. She eventually allowed Tori to touch the damaged arm without flinching, as she had taken to doing. She hated the blatant reminders forever connecting her to those memories, but as with most things, Tori talked her down into realizing that none of that mattered. The past was the past and hating a part of herself wasn't going to change it. With her courage back Jade barely even gave the multitude of scars a passing glance. Her limited sense of touch became the norm and she learned to move on.

Tori had taken to running her hand up and down Jade's arms, just feeling the different contrasts, while Jade enjoyed the massage. Tori did that now, easing Jade into relaxation. After the fifth pass over she took Jade's hand in hers and threaded their fingers together. She leaned in and kissed Jade just as her eyes opened to question why Tori stopped. Tori's lips left hers to press a kiss to the scar at her jaw then traveled over her neck to her left shoulder. She kissed her bicep, the crease of her elbow, her forearm, her wrist, and then her palm. Their eyes met and the love in Tori's stare brought a genuine smile to Jade's face. Tori returned it then pushed up Jade's shirt to kiss the vaguely square shaped scar where she had been run through. Their first time together since Jade fully recovered started out like this, Tori taking the time to accept every scar that marred Jade's body. She had been so overwhelmed, so grateful, that she kissed Tori with a hunger that carried them away. But now there was no burning desire, just acceptance and appreciation.

"I knew you were a suck up," Jade stated, playing at unaffected, but Tori knew better. She shrugged and made herself comfortable on Jade. She pecked her on the lips then stared at her with a sly smile in place.

"If you intend on seeing how much of a suck up I can be I suggest you help me get these notes together so we can be ready to present when the time comes," Tori mumbled against her lips. Jade fully captured her lips, kissing her passionately, before breaking it.

"We know it all by heart. We'll wing it. It's much more fun that way," Jade replied.

"Jade," Tori whined, the scrunched up face she made when she was agitated made Jade laugh. It was always hard for her to take Tori seriously when she was upset. She was just too cute. Unless the topic was entirely serious it was hopeless for Jade to properly listen. This time she gave in relatively quickly, if only to see Tori's smile again. She couldn't get enough of it.

"Fine, get off me you cheater," she huffed out. Tori laughed but did as she was told. She slid off the bed and offered Jade a hand up. Jade took it and was pulled to her feet. She began collecting all the papers around the room while rolling her eyes. When it came to things like this Tori was the least organized. Jade on the other hand began shuffling through different points and putting them in the correct order in no time. Soon, Tori was just handing her what she needed and Jade added it. By the time she was finished there was a neat stack of what they would be using and what they didn't need.

"There, are we done now?" Jade said, turning to Tori.

"Wow, that was fast," she replied, amazed. Jade just smiled confidently. She sauntered over to Tori and took her by the hands.

"Yeah, it was, so now I get a reward right?" Jade said with a kiss to Tori's shoulder. She shivered pleasantly but shook her head.

"No, I don't think you need one. Your ego will most definitely suffer with a boost," Tori replied factually. Jade grumbled and backed her onto the bed. She was leaning over Tori now and kissing up her neck. She waited until Tori was completely relaxed under her and then struck. Her dexterous fingers went right to Tori's most ticklish area; her sides. Tori was rendered helpless and Jade grinned at her constant laughter ringing from her as she tried to escape. But even with a still healing arm Jade was stronger than her. Tori resorted to tickling Jade back and then making a run for it when she was too effected to tickle her in return. She ran for the door and took the stairs down to the living room but Jade caught up to her. She wrapped Tori in her arms and spun her around so that she was facing her.

All the while they were still laughing. Both girls just enjoyed the moment, loving the feeling of being so happy with each other. Jade's hands came up to cup Tori's face, their eyes meeting, and then they were kissing. Tori's hands rested on Jade's wrists before running down her arms to her sides where she pulled her close by the waist. Jade's arms circled Tori's neck, bringing them closer together. Going back to school would bring everything back for both of them. Questions would be asked and the scars, both mentally and physically, would be pointed out. People would want to know about it all. But right now, in this moment between only them, they didn't worry about it. Whatever came next they would deal with together, never on their own, because as long as they stuck together nothing could keep them down.


End file.
